GIFT  OF 
H.B.Wilson 


DEPT. 


I 


THE  PRINCIPLES  OF 
ADVERTISING 


The  use  of  neutralized  color  in  background  form  is  admirably  shown 
in  this  illustration.  The  qualities  of  refinement  and  distinction  are  well 
brought  out  in  the  choice  and  arrangement  of  a  finely  keyed  complemen- 
tary color  scheme.  Attention  value  is  secured  through  the  treatment  of 
the  car  in  the  lower  foreground  and  a  perfect  balance  is  obtained  through 
the  size  and  the  placing  of  the  name  at  the  top  left.  This  adds  a  dignified 
quality  in  harmony  with  the  goods  advertised. 


TH  E  PRINCIPLES  OF 

ADVERTISING 

A  TEXT-BOOK 


HARRY  TIPPER 

Business  Manager  of  "Automotive  Industries"; 
ex-President  of  the  Association  of  National  Ad- 
vertisers; ex-President  of  the  Advertising  Club  of 
New  York. 

HARRY  L.  HOLLINGWORTH,  Ph.D. 

Associate  Professor  of  Psychology  and  Director 
of  the  Psychological  Laboratory  at  Barnard  College 

GEORGE  BURTON  HOTCHKISS,  M.A. 

Professor  of  Business  English  and  Head  of  the 
Advertising  and  Marketing  Division  in  New  York 
University;  formerly  with  the  George  Batten 
Company,  Advertising. 

FRANK  ALVAH  PARSONS,  B.S. 

President  of  New  York  School  of  Fine  and 
Applied  Art  and  lecturer  in  Advertising  Display 
in  New  York  University. 


THE  RONALD  PRESS  CO. 
NEW   YORK   CITY,   1920 


EDUCAI  IOIN  uc.fl 


Cop3rright,  1915,  by 
THE  RONALD  PRESS  COMPANY 


Copyright,  1920,  by 
THE  RONALD  PRESS  COMPANY 

All  Rights  Reserved 


PREFACE 

Until  recently  the  scientific  study  of  advertising  has  been~ 
confined  chiefly  to  practitioners  in  the  field  and  to  those  who 
were  more  or  less  definitely  preparing  for  work  in  the  profes- 
sion. Now,  'however,  the  subject  has  been  recognized  as 
advantageous,  if  not  essential,  to  any  general  course  of  train- 
ing in  business.  Hence,  a  course  in  advertising  is  now  a  part 
of  the  curriculum  of  practically  every  university  or  other  edu- 
cational institution  giving  systematic  instruction  in  business 
subjects. 

The  present  volume  is  offered  as  a  text-book  for  such 
courses.  It  is  a  condensed  and  simplified  version  of  "Advertis- 
ing, Its  Principles  and  Practice."  The  original  book,  which 
is  now  in  its  second  edition,  has  been  widely  accepted  as  the 
standard  treatise  on  advertising  for  the  practitioner  and  the 
student.  The  only  disadvantage  to  its  use  as  a  text-book  has 
been  its  bulkiness — the  necessary  accompaniment  of  its  compre- 
hensive and  detailed  treatment. 

Little,  if  any,  of  the  material  found  in  the  original  volume 
could  be  omitted  in  a  work  to  be  used  by  the  practitioner; 
therefore  this  condensed  edition  is  not  to  be  considered  as  a 
substitute  for  the  original.  For  the  use  of  students  in  the 
classroom,  however,  it  has  been  found  practicable  to  eliminate 
some  of  the  illustrative  and  explanatory  matter  and  to  confine 
the  book  to  a  presentation  of  the  essential  principles  with  only 
such  illustrations  as  are  needed  to  make  these  principles 
absolutely  clear.  A  slight  rearrangement  has  also  been  made 
to  adapt  the  book  to  the  methods  of  the  usual  advertising 
course. 

It  is  believed  that  the  present  volume  will  prove  to  be 
equally  as  sound  and  practical  as  "Advertising,  Its  Principles 


677585 


vi  PREFACE 

and  Practice"  with  the  added  virtues  of  greater  compactness 
and  workability  as  a  classroom  text. 

New  York  City,  December,  1919. 


Note — The  advertisements  throughout  the  book  have  been 
selected  because  of  their  illustration  of  specific  principles,  and  their 
use  should  not  be  taken  to  indicate  unqualified  approval  or  con- 
demnation of  any  advertisement  as  a  whole. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I     What  is  Advertising? I 

II     The  Way  in  Which  Advertising  Is  Used 9 

III  The  Factors  Which  Determine  the  Kind  and 

Extent  of  Advertising 18 

IV  The  Organization  and  the  Product 30 

V     Purpose  of  Campaign 36 

VI  The  Trade-mark 42 

VII  The  Chief  Psychological  Problems  Involved. .  50 
VIII  The  Chief  Human  Needs  and  Their  Satis- 
faction   58 

IX  The  Chief  Classes  of  Advertisements 71 

X  Securing  and  Holding  Attention 82 

XI  Establishing  Associations 90 

XII  Making  Associations  Dynamic 98 

XIII  Testing  the   Relative   Value   of   Advertising 

Appeals    106 

XIV  The  Nature  and  Purpose  of  Advertising  Copy  113 
XV     The  Structural  Principles  of  Advertising  Copy  129 

XVI  Reason-Why  Copy 142 

XVII  Human-Interest  Copy 153 

XVIII  Smaller  Units  of  Advertising  Copy 165 

XIX  Copy  as  Affected  by  Medium 182 

XX  Copy  as  Affected  by  Display 202 

XXI  The  Functions  and  Elements  of  Display 214 

XXII  The  Principles  of  Form 225 

XXIII  Color    242 

XXIV  Illustration 253 

XXV  Ornament 262 

XXVI     Type  Principles 273 

vii 


viii 

CHAPTER 

XXVII 

XXVIII 

XXIX 

XXX 

XXXI 

XXXII 

XXXIII 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 


Laying  Out  the  Advertisement 282 

The  Men 293 


Periodical   Media, 


3°° 

Outdoor  and  Other  Forms  of  Advertising.  ...   311 
Dealers'  Aids,  Direct  Mail,  and  House  Organs  325 

Determining  What  to  Spend 334 

Writing  the  Copy  and  Considering  the  Returns  344 


The  Principles  of  Advertising 

CHAPTER  I 

WHAT  IS  ADVERTISING? 

Historical  Development. — The  progress  of  advertising  dur- 
ing the  twentieth  century  has  been  so  remarkable  as  quite  to 
overshadow  its  earlier  development.  In  fact,  its  rapid  prog- 
ress has  caused  many  people  to  accuse  this  branch  of  market- 
ing of  being  new  and  experimental,  and  to  overlook  the  part 
it  played  in  the  earlier  growth  of  business.  The  truth  is  that 
advertising  has  been  associated  with  the  selling  6f  go"ods  for 
more  than  two  centuries. 

These  earlier  applications  of  publicity  to  business  appear 
at  this  time  crude  and  of  little  moment;  yet  these  announce- 
ments formed  a  fundamental  part  of  the  sale  of  goods  and 
were  used  to  draw  attention  to  wares  of  various  kinds  in  all 
parts  of  the  civilized  world.  As  a  matter  of  record,  some 
form  of  public  sign  has  been  usual  for  thousands  of  years, 
but  advertising  in  any  way  comparable  with  the  work  of  today 
began  with  the  extensionjDf  the__axt.^ 

oT"education  inTeacTing  and  writing.  So  closely  has  adver- 
tising^ associated  itself  with  business  growtli  that  a  study  of 
advertising  from  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century  is 
almost  a  study  of  business  progress.  This  fact  should  be 
thoroughly  appreciated,  if  the  place  of  advertising  in  modern 
business  is  to  be  understood. 

The  enormous  increase  in  the  possibilities  of_j3n>duction 
which  were  made  avajjable  through  the_  discovgrY^-qf--steam 
and  electricity,  introduced  into  business  the  great  problems 


:  PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 


gave  an  added  stimulus  to  the  use  of  all 
the  forces  of  selling,  and  particularly  added  to  the  importance 
of  the  advertising  force. 

The  first  year  of  the  introduction  of  steam  in  Great  Britain 
saw  a  growth  of  300  per  cent  in  the  manufacture  of  cotton 
goods.  This  sudden  and  voluminous  increase  in  production 
qfequired  a  corresponding  increase  in  markets,  and  so  the  sell- 
ing problem  —  the  problem  of  getting  rid  of  thejrnanufactured 
goods—arose. 

From  that  time  continual  improvement  in  the  machinery 
of  production,  transportation,  communication,  etc.,  has  in- 
creased the  production  of  all  classes  of  commodities  by  leaps 
and  bounds,  and  added  thousands  of  new  commodities  to  those 
already  in  use.  The  problem  of  disposing  of  these  goods  be- 
came, consequently,  more  and  more  important.  People  had 
to  be  taught  to  use  more  material  and  many  more  varieties. 

This  all  meant,  and  means  today,  an  increasing  selling  prob- 
lem. Coincident  with  this  development  came  the  spread  of 
education  in  reading  and  writing,  and  its  natural  consequence, 
the  appTTCalJon  oljjaf  forre.  of  publicity  to  business.  The  pos- 
sibility of  reaching  thousands  of  people  in  the  same  time  re- 
quired for  reaching  one  in  personal  selling,  the  small  cost  of 
this  method,  and  the  strength  of  its  force,  made  advertising  a 
natural  move  in  meeting  the  requirements  of  marketing. 

Recent  Growth.  —  In  the  minds  of  the  public,  the  articles 
bought  had  usually  been  associated  with  the  merchant  who 
sold  them,  and  not  with  the  manufacturer  who  made  them. 
This  condition  changed,  for  the  necessity  of  enormous  invest- 
ments in  manufacture  brought  with  it  the  necessity  of  more 
definite  touch  withjhe_consumer,  which  could  be  secured  mosT 
economically  through  the  use  of  advertising.  Some  means  of 
identifica4ion~ei-JJie__rnanufacturer5s  goods  by  the  consumer 
also  became  necessary,  and  consequently  the  trade-mark!  the 


WHAT   IS   ADVERTISING?  3 

appearance  of  the  package,  etc.,  were  affected  to  an  unusual 
degree. 

The  enormous  development  of  manufacturing  units  was 
the  primary  cause  of  the  recent  impetus  given  to  advertising 
in  modern  diversified  lines  of  industry.  This  increase  in  the 
size  and  cost  of  manufacturing  units  demanded  a  correspond- 
ing increase  in  the  stability  of  business,  so  as  to  insure  contin- 
ued returns  upon  the  capital  invested.  Thjs_ future  obligation 
demanded  a  more  definite  control  of  buj>in£S6~4lian  the  sale 
to  ^a  distributor  oFTn^^arketmg'  nf  nn  unidentified  product 
would  give.  'As  a  consequence,  an  appeal  to  the  .consumer, 
giving  individuality  and  identity  to  the  particular  product,  be- 
came  a  necessary^  rt  o,fjjip  sales  proceedings.  Coupled  with 
the  increasjr^  competition  between  manufacturing  units  and 
the  cost  of  Jhat  competition,  drivin£-Jhos_e^_c^ni£nis  to  take 
all  availatjTe  jT^anjJo"Hevelo£j^_market,  the  necessities  of  the 
case  forced^th^jnjLmjj^£turer  to  give  particular  attention  to  ad- 
vertising which  provided  a  means  of  massing  some  of  the 
selttn^operations  under  more  definite  control. 

The  last  twenty  years  have  seen  the  greatest  growth  of  ad- 
vertising. Up  to  the  beginning  of  that  time  the  increasing 
cost  of  marketing  had  been  more  than  balanced  by  the  decreas- 
ing cost  of  manufacture,  so  that  prices  could  be  continually 
lowered.  The  necessity  for  further  sales  methods  was  less 
apparent.  The  tendencies  have  changed  in  the  last  twenty 
years;  the  cost  of  marketing  has  increased  far  more  rapidly 
than  the  economies  of  production,  and  the  use  of  sales  meth- 
ods designed  to  decrease  or  keep  down  the  total  cost  of  selling 
has  become  more  important. 

During  this  time,  therefore,  the  growth  of  advertising  has 
been  sufficiently  great  to  surpass  all  its  previous  development. 
Furthermore,  the  rf>qii^rfTTi?Tit§  pf  ro™pQtitinr«  in  the  adver- 
tising itself  have  made  its^Qpera.tj_op.a.  ma.tter  Q.f  special  study 
involving,  as  it  does  today,  detailed  knowledge  of  the  fields  of 


6  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

stances,  so  that  the  ultimate  result  involves  the  solution  of  a 
difficult  problem.  Some  consideration  may  be  given,  however, 
to  the  general  efficiencies  which  govern  and  the  need  for  fur- 
ther investigations,  so  that  these  shall  be  properly  and  reason- 
ably measured. 

Advertising,  in  common  with  all  selling  workfdacks^effi- 
ciency^Jts  value  is  undoubted,  because  of  its  small  cost,  but 
it  is  as  yet  very  low  in  the  actual  amount  of  work  accomplished 
in  comparisgn  with  the  potentiality. 

There  are  excellent  reasons  for  this  low  efficiency.  On  ac- 
count  of  its  exponents,  advertising  has  been  the  subject  of 
mucji  suspicion,  it  has  been  used  without  regard  to  its  applica- 
bility, and  it  has  scarcely  been  analyzed.  This  means,  of 
course,  that  the  investigation  of  advertising,  and  indeed  all 
measures  looking  to  its  analysis,  are  of  the  utmost  importance, 
and  will  repay  the  investigator  many  times. 

Advertising  Has  Changed  Marketing  Ideas. — As  a  matter 
of  fact,  this  analysis  of  advertising  is  being  made  at  the  present 
time,  and,  as  a  consequence  of  the  material  brought  to  light 
from  its  consideration,  the  whole  idea  of  selling  is  undergoing 
a  fundamental  change. 

Like  all  mass  methods  of  work,  advertising  is  bounded  by 
greater  limitations,  is  less  flexible,  and  is  subject  to  less  change 
than  personal  selling.  For  this  reason,  factors  which  assumed 
little  or  no  importance  before  the  introduction  of  advertising 
became  of  great  moment~aTfer"ward. 

Policies  must  be  fixed  and  defined ;  claims,  agreements,  and 
other  items  determined ;  packages  must_be^ojisidered  from  an 
entirely  newpoint  of  view.  Where  it  was  intended  to  sell  the 

ts  onlyT)ythe  slow  and  private  process  of  personal  sales- 
men, things  could  be  muddled  through  and  changed  from  time 
to  time  as  they  proved  to  be  wrong.  When,  however,  it  is  de- 
termined publicly  to  state  the  claims,  agreements,  and  policies, 


WHAT   IS   ADVERTISING?  7 

to  exhibit  the  package  in  the  public  prints  with  all  the  finality 
and  vitality  of  the  printed  word,  it  becomes  important  that 
every  possible  factor  should  be  considered  and  weighed  so 
that  no  adverse  point  may  militate  against  the  success  of  the 
public  campaign. 

By  wrong  methods  of  publicity,  it  i-vflhyiniiftly  jtist-as  pos- 
sible to  educatejhe  consular  c  ftf  flTI  prHrla  tn  *U«KW  it  as  it 
is  to  impress  them  favorably,  so  that  it  becomes  difficult  to 
muddle  along  without  complete  analysis  of  the  whole  situation. 

Advantage  of  Written  Over  Spoken  Word.  —  When  the 
proper  analysis  has  been  made,  however,  advertising  possesses 
qualities  entirely  different  from  those  in  the  scope  of  personal 
'selling,  which  so  amplify  and  round  out  the  selling  plan  as  to 
add  materially  to  its  efficiency  without  regard  to  the  com- 
mercial factors. 

Not  the  least  of  these  qualities  is  the  advantage  of  the  writ- 
ten over  the  spoken  word.  The  intonation,  inflection,  and  em- 
phasis which  add  so  much  to_th_e  meaning  of  the  spoken  jword 
also  take  away  from  it  the  fixity  belonging  to  the  cold  type. 

Where  business  was  done,  where  ynnHs  TY£Te  s6ldT  by  oral 
methods  entirely,  a  certain  want  of  Belief  or  refetkility,  and 
a  certain  amount  of  suspicion,  naturally  attache^jtojthe^s^pken 
words  of  the  .seller,  because  of  the  fact  that  they  were  not 
recorded,  and  consequently  without  the  proper  limitations. 

T5n  the  other  hand,  the  tendency  of  thejmind  in  general  is 
to  pr^it  the  printffl  word  with  ^™^?*  i  full  mmmrn  nf  tirlirf 
It  is  only  after  considerable  reasoning  that  suspicion  may 
enter  in  and  change  this  condition  ;  but  the  first  impression  of 
any  written  or  printed  word  is  that  it  speaks  truthfully.  This 
is  logical,  of  course,  because  the  written  or  printed  v£Qrd  has 
a  definite  meaning:  this  meaning  is  nof  altered  r>r  j 

inflection 


by  inflections  ^ptUnfnnafinng     In  fact,  it  may  be  limited  at 
law  because  of  this  characteristic.     Furthermore,  it  is  a  per- 


8  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

manent  record,  and  can  bebr  ought  up  to  Confront  the  man 
who  wrote  it  at  any  tirrieT* 


Print  Has  Implied  Accuracy. — A  peculiar  measure  of  be- 
lief, moreover,  attaches  to  the  printed  word  because  ol  the 
fact  that  it  has  been  used  in  the  majority  of  its  work  to  convey 
accurate  and  concrete  information,  news,  and  impressions,  all 
of  which  had  values  of  their  own,  were  either  an  accurate  rep- 
resentation of  facts,  or  were  expressed  with  full  sincerity. 

As  a  consequence  of  this,  the  advertiser  is  obliged  to  meas- 
ure his  business  from  an  entirely  different  point  of  view  when 
he  wishes  to  take  advantage  of  the  potential  force  of  the 
printed  word.  It  can  readily  he  seen  that  on  account  of  its 
peculiar  value  advertising  will  perpetuate  the  errors  of  busi- 
ness just  as  readily  as  it  will  perpetuate  its  advantages, 

Furthermore,  because  of  the  fact  that  it  is  not  influenced 
by  personal  idiosyncrasies  and  the  fluctuating  value  which  ac- 
crues from  contact  with  an  individual  in  a  personal  way,  it  is 
affected  by  mistakes  which  are  apparently  of  little  importance 
in  the  old  method  of  oral  selling.  It  may  not  be  a  very  seri- 
ous matter  to  put  your  goods  in  a  package  which  is  not  en- 
tirely convenient  when  you  start  to  sell  it,  through  a  few  sales- 
men, to  a  few  people.  Mistakes  can  be  rectified  in  these  cases 
at  a  later  period  without  causing  much  trouble.  Where,  how- 
ever, you  wish  to  introduce  this  package  to  several  million  peo- 
ple at  the  same  time,  with  the  idea  of  rapidly  acquainting  them 
with  it  to  the  extent  that  it  will  became  one  of  the  familiar 
sights,  it  is  of  vast  importance  that  the  package  should  repre- 
sent as  nearly  as  possible  the  acme  of  convenience.  It  will 
be  just  as  easy  to  familiarize  those  millions  of  people  with 
the  mistake  in  your  package  as  it  is  to  acquaint  them  with  the 
value  of  the  goods,  in  which  case,  instead  of  making  several 
million  customers,  you  will  have  succeeded  in  eliminating  them 
from  your  possible  patronage. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  WAY  IN  WHICH  ADVERTISING  IS  USED 

General  Function  of  Advertising. — Advertising  is  the  ma- 
chine, or  bulk,  rne|]ir>r[  ftf  fipl  liner  It  is  directed  to  large  groups 
of  the  public  and  attempts  to  turn  them  in  the  direction  of  the 
advertiser  and  his  product.  It  is  used,  therefore,  either  to 
supplant  the  personal  selling  force,  to  supplement  it,  or  to 
act  upon  it. 

In  some  cases  the  printed  method  of  selling  in  bulk  is  the 
only  method  used.  This  is  the  method  employed  by  the  mail- 
order house,  which  secures  its  business  by  advertising  in  peri- 
odicals and  through  catalogues.  In  this  case  the  personal 
selling  force  is  eliminated,  and  the  whole  proposition  is  put 
up  to  the  customer,  his  approval  secured,  and  his  order  placed 
without  the  personal  representative  of  the  seller  having  been 
called  in  at  all. 

Where  the  salesmen  of  the  house  call  upon  the  distributors 
only,  the  advertising  is  used  to  supplement  the  work  of  the 
salesmen  by  directing  the  consumer  to  the  product  in  question, 
and  by  leading  him  to  discriminate  in  favor  of  the  product 
being  sold  or  to  accept  it  with  confidence  in  its  quality  and  re- 
liability. 

The  effect  of  the  advertising  upon  the  salesmen  themselves 
is  highly  important,  as  it  often  gives  them  an  impetus  toward 
successful  selling  which  they  may  have  lacked  before. 

Advertising  as  a  Control. — That  part  of  any  business  or- 
ganization which  comes  in  contact^ilJiJLbe^public  is  the  one 
upon  which  the  good-will  of  the  business  depends,  and  the  one 
which  can  be  controlled  only  with  the  greatest  difficulty.  The 

9 


8  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF  ADVERTISING 

manent  record,  and  can  be  brought  up  to  confront  the  man 
who  wrote  it  at  any  tirrieT" 


Print  Has  Implied  Accuracy. — A  peculiar  measure  of  be- 
lief, moreover,  attaches  to  the  printed  word  because  of  the 
fact  that  it  has  been  used  in  the  majority  of  its  work  to  convey 
accurate  and  concrete  information,  news,  and  impressions,  all 
of  which  had  values  of  their  own,  were  either  an  accurate  rep- 
resentation of  facts,  or  were  expressed  with  full  sincerity. 

As  a  consequence  of  this,  the  advertiser  is  obliged  to  meas- 
ure his  business  from  an  entirely  different  point  of  view  when 
he  wishes  to  take  advantage  of  the  potential  force  of  the 
printed  word.  It  can  readijv  be  seen  that  on  account  of  its 
peculiar  value  advertising  will  perpetuate  the  errors  of  busi- 
ness just  as  readily  as  it  will  perpetuate  its  advantages. 

Furthermore,  because  of  the  fact  that  it  is  not  influenced 
by  personal  idiosyncrasies  and  the  fluctuating  value  which  ac- 
crues from  contact  with  an  individual  in  a  personal  way,  it  is 
affected  by  mistakes  which  are  apparently  of  little  importance 
in  the  old  method  of  oral  selling.  It  may  not  be  a  very  seri- 
ous matter  to  put  your  goods  in  a  package  which  is  not  en- 
tirely convenient  when  you  start  to  sell  it,  through  a  few  sales- 
men, to  a  few  people.  Mistakes  can  be  rectified  in  these  cases 
at  a  later  period  without  causing  much  trouble.  Where,  how- 
ever, you  wish  to  introduce  this  package  to  several  million  peo- 
ple at  the  same  time,  with  the  idea  of  rapidly  acquainting  them 
with  it  to  the  extent  that  it  will  became  one  of  the  familiar 
sights,  it  is  of  vast  importance  that  the  package  should  repre- 
sent as  nearly  as  possible  the  acme  of  convenience.  It  will 
be  just  as  easy  to  familiarize  those  millions  of  people  with 
the  mistake  in  your  package  as  it  is  to  acquaint  them  with  the 
value  of  the  goods,  in  which  case,  instead  of  making  several 
million  customers,  you  will  have  succeeded  in  eliminating  them 
from  your  possible  patronage. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  WAY  IN  WHICH  ADVERTISING  IS  USED 

General  Function  of  Advertising. — Advertising  is  the  ma- 
chine, or  bulk,  mejJiO^L^gejling.  It  is  directed  to  large  groups 
of  the  public  and  attempts  to  turn  them  in  the  direction  of  the 
advertiser  and  his  product.  It  is  used,  therefore,  either  to 
supplant  the  personal  selling  force,  to  supplement  it,  or  to 
act  upon  it. 

In  some  cases  the  printed  method  of  selling  in  bulk  is  the 
only  method  used.  This  is  the  method  employed  by  the  mail- 
order house,  which  secures  its  business  by  advertising  in  peri- 
odicals and  through  catalogues.  In  this  case  the  personal 
selling  force  is  eliminated,  and  the  whole  proposition  is  put 
up  to  the  customer,  his  approval  secured,  and  his  order  placed 
without  the  personal  representative  of  the  seller  having  been 
called  in  at  all. 

Where  the  salesmen  of  the  house  call  upon  the  distributors 
only,  the  advertising  is  used  to  supplement  the  work  of  the 
salesmen  by  directing  the  consumer  to  the  product  in  question, 
and  by  leading  him  to  discriminate  in  favor  of  the  product 
being  sold  or  to  accept  it  with  confidence  in  its  quality  and  re- 
liability. 

The  effect  of  the  advertising  upon  the  salesmen  themselves 
is  highly  important,  as  it  often  gives  them  an  impetus  toward 
successful  selling  which  they  may  have  lacked  before. 

Advertising  as  a  Control. — That  part  of  any  business  or- 
ganization which  comes  in  contact  with  ^ej2^bli£  is  the  one 

upon  which  the  good-will  of  the  business  depends,  and  the  one 
which  can  be  controlled  only  with  the  greatest  difficulty.     The 

9 


I0  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

work  of  the  agent  or  representative  can  be  controlled  only  to 
a  very  minor  degree,  as  his  time  is  spent  where  there  is  no 
check  upon  his  actual  methods  of  doing  business.  He  may 
exaggerate,  change  his  arguments,  guarantee-afld-  do  other 
things  not  consistent  with  the  house  policy,  and  so  long  as 
these  matters  do  not  assume  vital  importance,  may  be  allowed 
to  continue. 

Advertising  aids  the  central  control  upon  the  conditions 
of  sale,  and  does  this  very  definitely.  It  takes  the  claims,  the 
advantages,  and  factors  of  service,  puts  them  into  the  most 
carefully  worded  phrases,  and,  by  printing  them,  gives  them  a 
definite  character  and  record. 

The  statement  of  the  salesman  is  no  longer  the  only  state- 
ment of  the  house;  another  statement  is  found  in  the  printed 
messenger  of  the  organization.  This  statement,  moreover,  is 
authoritative,  because  it  comes  from  headquarters. 

Advertising  as  a  Missionary. — There  is  a  certain  amount 
of  inertia  on  the  part  of  the  buying  public  toward  any  change 
in  buying  habits,  which  must  be  overcome  before  any  business 
can  be  diverted  from  other  channels  or  created. 

A  certain  amount  of  familiarity  with  the  proposition  is 
necessary;  it  must  have  survived  a  period  of  time,  ajnd  be  no 
longer  an  entire  stranger  to  the'T^rospective  customer.  The 
factor  uftmie  camic^^  in  considering 

the  cost  of  securing  business,  and  a  certain  period  must  elapse 
before  there  is  any  general  acceptance  of  the  proposition. 

To  do  the  work  necessary  in  bringing  the  matter  to  the 
prospective  purchaser's  attention  and  familiarize  him  with 
it,  either  salesmen  or  advertising  must  be  used.  Salesmen  as 

•MWV 

missionaries  are  expensive ;  they  should  rather  be  used  as 
specialists  to  bring  conviction  to  those  already  interested. 
Their  efforts  should  be  directed  to  the  closing  of  business 
rather  than  the  opening  of  negotiations. 


WAY  IN  WHICH  ADVERTISING  IS  USED  n 

Advertising  can  break  thejground  for  the ;  salesman  by  in- 
troducing the  product,  the  service,  and  the  house,  and  can 
do  this  at  a  fraction  of  the  cost  of  the  same  work  by  salesmen. 
Advertising  Is  the  natural  and  effective  business  missionary. 

Advertising  as  an  Economic  Distribution  Factor. — Eco- 
nomic considerations  have  made  it  necessary  for  products 
to  follow  different  lines  in  passing  from  the  manufacturer  to 
the  consumer ;  consequently  the  efficiency  of  selling  is  con- 
cerned with  the  economics  of  distribution  as  wellas  wTfh  the 
cost  of  arranging  the  individual  sale. 

The  general  methods  of  distributing  products  of  manufac- 
ture are: 

TT"'  From  manufacturer  direct  to  consumer.  This  is  the 
commonly  accepted  method  of  distribution  where  products  are 
bought  in  large  quantities,  where  they  involve  considerable 
sums  f™~+^<*  ;HJT"1linl  f^kooo  and  where  the  number  of 

^_^^^  "  •  -  -  •~~*^~*          *- 

consumers  is  relatively  sj.nall. 

2.  From    manufacturer    through    retailer   to   consumer. 
This  is  a  methocTof  distribution  used  where  the  indivjdualjmr- 
chases  are  small,  but  frequent ;  where  the  goods  can  remain  in 
stock  for  considerable  periods  of  time  without  deterioration, 
and  where,  consequently,  the  retailer  can  order  in  sufficient 
quantitj_t^^make  this  method  possible. 

3.  From  manufacturer  through  jobber  and  retailer  to 
consumer.     This  is  "trie  method  of  distribution  most  widely 
used  for  all  articles  of  general  consumption  by  the  individual, 
for  all  perishable  goods,  and  for  all  goods  where  the  retailer's 
requirements  arejsmall.     In  some  cases,  particularly  with  per- 
ishable goods,  the  commission  house  gathers  from  the  pro- 
ducer and  sells  to  the  jobber  or  wholesaler. 

Advertising  is  used  as  an_ecqnomicf  actor  in  theuiistribu- 
tion  because  its  influence  is  wielded  through  a  much  more  ex- 
tended circTe  than  trie4  actual  marketing  and  distributing  or- 


12  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

ganization.    Its  effect,  therefore,  arises  from  the  general  char- 
acter of  its  influence  and  the  small  unit  cost  involved 

Where  the  goods  are  sqldjdirect  from  the  manufacturer  to 
the  consurrier,  advertising  has  one  or  both  of  "two  definite 
functions : 

1.  To  sell  the  product   entirely,   as  in  mail-order. 

2.  To  introduce  the  product,  follow  up  the  salesman,  and 

act  as  missionary. 

Where  the  goods  are  sold  through  dealer^ or  jobber  and 
dealer,  advertising  has  the  following  functions: 

1.  To*stabilize  the  business  bv  getting  the  goods  before 

the  consumer. 

2.  To  decrease  the  distribution  cost  by  increasing  the 

amount  of  the  individual  purchase,  er  increasing 
the  number  of  purchases  from  each  individual 
dealer. 

3.  To  act  as  a  missionary  in  preparing  the  ground  for 

the  general  selling  .campaign. 

4.  To  increase  the  efficiency  of  the  dealer  by  bringing 

him  more  directly  in  touch  with  the  selling  work. 

It  will  be  seen  at  once  that  these  are  somewhat  large  tasks, 
and,  as  a  consequence,  cannot  be  done  in  a  few  minutes. 

Little  or  nothing  can  be  accomplished  if  the  policies  of  the 
organization  change  so  as  to  force  the  dealer  and  consumer 
to  new  developments  from  time  to  time.  The  consumer,  if 
he  is  to  be  taught  a  buying  habit,  must  be  able  to  fix  the  habit, 
and  this  argues  some  fixity  in  the  sales  policies  which  ger- 
minated it. 

Economic  advantage  can  be  obtained  by  the  advertising 
only  where  careful  analysis  has  determined  the  policy  of  its 
operation  in  conjunction  with  the  sales  department,  so  that 
there  may  be  little  necessity  for  substantial  change  once  the 
policy  is  established. 


WAY  IN  WHICH  ADVERTISING  IS  USED  13 

Advertising  as  a  Direct  Selling  Force. — In  some  lines  of 
business,  and  in  connection  with  many  articles  of  commerce,  it 
has  been  found  possible  to  introduce  the  buying  entirely  by  ad- 
vertising, or,  at  any  rate,  to  bring  the  buyer  to  the  goods  by 
the  advertising.  In  these  cases  advertising  acts  as  the  princi- 
pal an4^direct  force  of  selling,  and  the  other  items  of  selling 
are  either  eliminated  by  or  subordinated  to  it. 

The  examples  of  this  method  of  using  advertising  are  at 
present  confined  to  the  mail-order  houses  and  the  retailer.  In 
the  case  of  the  mail-order  house  the  whole  selling  is  through 
the  use  of  the  advertising  force.  In  the  case  of  the  retail  store, 
the  advertising  is  expected  to  bring  the  people  to  the  store, 
so  that  it  forms  the  first  and  more  direct  employment  of  the 
force  of  selling. 

The  Economic  Relation  of  Advertising  to  Marketing  Cost. 
— It  is  obvious  that  advertising  has  had  a  tremendous  effect 
in  the  constantly  enlaTgtrrg  consumption  of  manufactured 
products  for  all  kinds  of  purposes.  It  was  inevitable  that  it 
would  supersede  some  of  the  clumsy,  inaccurate,  and  doubtful 
methods  of  the  personal  selling  which  it  has  replaced.  More- 
over it  is  obvious  that  the  necessity  for  stable  market  control 
on  the  part  of  the  manufacturers  made  the  use  of  advertising 
to  the  consumer  the  only  possible  means  of  obtaining  this  end. 

As  we  have  seen  in  the  earlier  part  of  this  present  chapter, 
advertising  improves  the  selling  or  marketing  condition  be- 
cause of  the  relief  or  replacement  of  the  more  expensive  per- 
sonal selling  force  otherwise  necessary.  These  differences 
should  be  note^  a  little  more  exactly,  as  they  form  n.Q.Ljonly 
the  justification  for  advertising,  but^the  index__ofjts  possible 
value  foranyproposition,  and  consequently  the  amount  which 
carT5e""prontably  engaged  for  its  use. 

A4vertising,  because  of  its  mass  appeal,  caiLreach  an  in- 
dividual at  a  sum  which  is  from  a  htindredth  to  a  three  hun- 


I4  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

c\ r pHtJT_rrf_J"h p ^arn m m t  which  wo.ujd  be  required^  to  bring  the 
infnrmitinnJrvMir  rmtnmrr  in  nnjr  nthrr  way. 

By  using  advertising  for  all  selling  work,  and  letting  the 
customer  take  the  delivery  cost,  the  mail-order  house  can  sell 
for  approximately  4  per  cent  where  the  department  store 
needs  over  25  per  cent  for  the  same  work.  Where  the  adver- 
tising has  been  used  to  supplement  the  work  of  the  salesman, 
the  effect  of  the  use  of  advertising  has  been,  generally  speak- 
ing, to  increase  the  sales  without  a  proportionate  increase  in  all 
the  marketing  expenses,  so  that  the  marketing  expense,  while 
greater  in  total  volume,  was  less  in  percentage  cost  on  the  in- 
dividual unit. 

There  are  three  economic  effects  of  advertising  which 
ought  to  be  understood  in  order  to  determine  its  value  under 
any  given  set  of  conditions  and  any  given  analysis. 

Increase  in  Efficiency  of  Salesman. — The  first  economic 
effect  is  the  increase  in  efficiency  of  the  salesman  himself.  The 
work  of  the  salesman  is  of  a  very  indefinite  character;  the  cus- 
tomers with  whom  he  comes  in  contact  have  a  thousand  differ- 
ent problems  and  scores  of  different  questions  to  be  taken  up 
and  gotten  rid  of — somehow.  Conversation  does  little  to  rem- 
edy this  trouble,  and  the  time  spent  in  all  this,  to  some  extent, 
lost  motion,  is  a  considerable  portion  of  the  total  time  of  the 
salesman.  Furthermore,  where  the  items  of  difficulty  are  con- 
stantly varying,  the  salesman  becomes  doubtful  of  his  own  in- 
formation and  the  information  which  his  firm  may  have  upon 
the  matter,  particularly  as  there  are  no  reference  manuals  on 
these  conditions  prepared  for  his  benefit.  Aditaifising,  because 
it  has  a  tendency  to  crystallize,  use,  or  forestall  all  arguments 
in  connection  with  the  service  of  the  goods,  gi¥£&Jil£  sales- 
man, ready  at  hand,  text-books  for^the  benefit  of  the  customer, 
and  relieves  his  time  in  so  doing. 

In  interviewing  the  hundreds  of  salesmen  from  whom  the 


WAY  IN  WHICH  ADVERTISING  IS  USED  15 

writer  has  bought,  not  only  in  connection  with  advertising,  but 
previously  in  other  lines,  in  almost  all  cases  where  specific  in- 
formation is  required,  the  advertising  catalogue  or  other  mat- 
ter is  brought  out  by  the  salesman  to  reinforce  his  own  state- 
ment and  to  save  his  own  time. 

The  benefit  in  actual  dollars  and  cents  of  a  moderate 
amount  of  advertising  for  the  use  of  the  salesmen  is  so  obvi- 
ous that  virtually  no  concerns  are  without  some  of  this  kind  of 
advertising,  however  much  they  may  be  inclined  to  call  them- 
selves disbelievers  in  advertising. 

Thus,  in  the  case  of  one  concern,  the  advertising  depart- 
ment was  created  for  the  purpose  of  "eliminating  a  lot  of  cor- 
respondence with  salesmen  and  dealers  and  defining  the  serv- 
ice," this  being  considered  as  the  limit  of  its  usefulness. 

Effect  upon  the  Distributor. — In  some  directions,  the 
economic  effect  of  advertising  upon  the  dealer  and  jobber — 
otherwise  the  distributor — arises  from  the  same  cause.  That 
advertising  has  a  tremendous  effect  upon  him,  apart  from  the 
effect  upon  his  customer,  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  great  in- 
creases of  business  have  often  been  secured  before  the  adver- 
tising has  had  an  opportunity  to  reach  the  consumer. 

Apart  from  this  effect  upon  the  dealer,  which  is  somewhat 
like  the  action  upon  the  salesman,  there  is  the  effect  upon  him 
due  to  the  attitude  of  the  consumer. 

Advertising  makes;j^oo4s  known  to  the_consumer,  it  makes 
mop&-gQpds  known  to  him,  and  it  familiarizes  him  with  the 
arguments  in  connection  with  the  various  commodities  in  such 
a  way  that  he  becomes  a  greater  buyer,  a  more  discriminating 
buyer,  and  a  critic  of  the  comparison  between  the  goods  and 
the  advertised  service  of  those  goods. 

The  consumer,  therefore,  requires  of  the  dealerj:wo  Or  three 
things  which  he  did  not  formerly  demand.  His  knowledge 


igs  wJ 
ceiTif 


makesif  necessary  for  the  dealer  to  carry  the  stock  the  con- 


16  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

sumer  asks  for,  instead  of  using  his  own  judgment  upon  its 
value.  The  consumer,  by  asking  for  certain  brands,  makes  less 
claim  upon  the  dealer's  time,  because  of  the  fact  that  he  is 
already  sold  and  demands  only  the  delivery  of  the  package. 
Further,  the  consumer  learning  from  the  advertising  of  the 
many  uses  for  the  product,  buys  more  of  it,  and  therefore  the 
individual  purchases  of  the  dealer  are  increased,  and  his  stock 
turns  over  with  greater  speed.  The  profit  from  the  increased 
speed  of  stock  turnover  is  so  much  more  than  any  other  item 
in  connection  with  an  individual  product  from  the  dealer,  that 
this  is  naturally  the  controlling  one  in  measuring  the  value  of 
the  advertising  of  a  product  to  the  dealer 

Value  to  the  Manufacturer. — The  value  of  advertising  to 
the  manufacturer  is  simply  the  expression  of  its  value  to  the 
consumer,  dealer,  jobber,  and  salesman. 

The  value  to  the  consumer  is  in  increased  convenience  and 
S£T,vice.  The  value  to  the»£etailer  is  in  increajedjur.nover  and 
decreased  selling  expense.  The  values>JxL_llie_4pbber  are  the 
sa^ms,  although  he  recognizes  them  less,  since  he  would  like 
to  hold  in  his  hand  the  brands  which  control  the  market.  The 
manufacturer's  advantage  com^aaa-mcreaeed  market  .secured 
withouLa^roportionate  increase  in  expense. 

Of  course,  the  possibility  of  securing  all  these  benefits  de- 
pends upon  the  proper  use  of  advertising,  and  is  by  no  means 
a  necessary  accompaniment  to  the  use  of  the  force  without  re- 
gard to  the  method  of  operation 

Electricity  has  within  it  the  power  to  do  all  the  things  to 
which  it  has  been  harnessed,  but  the  value  of  the  power  se- 
cured is  in  direct  proportion  to  the  efficiency  of  the  equipment 
used  in  harnessing  it.  Advertising  is  the  power  of  publicity 
and  the  value  it  will  bring  to  any  commercial  organization  de- 
pends entirely  upon  the  value  of  the  equipment  by  which  it  is 
harnessed  to  do  the  work. 


WAY  IN  WHICH  ADVERTISING  IS  USED  17 

The  above  economic  advantages  of  the  use  of  advertising 
in  business  represents  simply  what  is  possible,  with  the  present 
equipment,  to  secure,  if  that  equipment  be  properly  used. 
There  is  little  doubt  that  the  future  will  see  a  vast  improve- 
ment in  advertising  and  a  great  increase  in  the  value  secured 
from  it 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  FACTORS  WHICH  DETERMINE  THE  KIND 
AND  EXTENT  OF  ADVERTISING 

Underlying  Conditions. — The  value  of  advertising  is  not 
determined  simply,  or  chiefly,  by  the  amount,  measured  in 
terms  either  of  dollars,  of  space,  or  of  strength  of  appeal;  like 
any  other  force,  its  value  is  determined  largely  by  the  con- 
ditions surrounding  its  application.  These  conditions  must 
be  assembled  and  their  several  factors  analyzed  before  decid- 
ing upon  the  amount  or  kind  of  advertising  to  be  used  in  any 
given  case.  Unless  this  is  done,  the  size  of  the  appropriation 
and  the  plan  of  expending  it  will  have  to  be  based  upon  a  com- 
bination of  guess  and  personal  experience — no  adequate  basis 
for  defining  the  place  of  advertising  as  a  regular  part  of  the 
sales  operations. 

Factory  Organization  and  Output.— The  first  considera- 
tion in  determining  how  the  force  of  advertising  is  to  be  ap- 
plied to  do  its  most  effective  work  is  the  territory  to  be  served. 
The  ideal  condition  as  to  trade  may  be  stated  as  that  con- 
d^tion  under^ which  the  output  of  the  factor-3Qs_spld  through 
the  smallesL^reaof  territory  which_xan  absorb  it  under  the 
prevailin^conditions^of  consumption  and  competition.  Such 
an  ideal  state"  means  the~~§TTT5lte$t  unit  sales  and  advertising 
cost,  and  consequently  the  least  burden  upon  the  goods. 

To  bring  about  anything  approximating  this  ideal  involves 
a  study  *odLtjie  location  of  the  factory  wjth  respect  to  the  con- 

of  its  output,J56*th  present  and 

future,  with  the  total  consuniption~of  the  class  of  goods  in 
question. 

18 


THE   KIND   AND   EXTENT   OF   ADVERTISING  19 

These  considerations  are  vitally  important  in  connection 
with  products  of  a  staple  character  distributed  direct  from  the 
manufacturer  to  the  consumer.  Here  conditions  are  such  that 
any  excessive  freight  charges  over  those  of  competitors  will_ 
tend  to  increase  the  selling  price  to  a  point  which  will  imme- 
diately limit  the  possibilities  of  sale.  Obviously,  this  means 
that  such  products  should  be  sold  within  the  smallest  possible 
territory  surrounding  the  factory. 

Even  in  the  case  where  the  product  is  a  specialty  sold 
either  directly  to  the  consumer  or  through  dealers,  it  often  hap- 
pens that  the  possibilities  of  consumption  are  such  that  the 
entire  output  could  be  absorbed  within  a  much  smaller  distance 
from  the  factory  than  is  usually  covered  by  the  sales  organ- 
ization, provided  proper  intensive  means  were  used  to  de- 
velop the  full  possibilities  of  the  territory. 

These  principles  are  even  more  strongly  applicable  in  cases 
where  the  output  represents  but  a  small  percentage  of  the  total 
consumption  of  the  country.  Here  the  mistake  is  frequently 
made  of  trying  to  obtain  a  wide  distribution  when  greater 
economy  could  be  effected  by  more  intensive  efforts  within 
narrower  limits. 

Other  factors,  of  course,  have  to  be  analyzed  with  refer- 
ence to  these  general  considerations.  Among  them  are  the 
possibilities  of  expansion  of  the  market,  which  may  make  it 
desirable  to  advertise  in  a  wider  territory  than  that  immedi- 
ately surrounding  the  factory.  The  future  output  of  the  busi- 
ness may  justify  plans  wrhich  would  not  be  efficient,  judged 
purely  from  the  standpoint  of  present  necessities. 

Consumption — The  consumption  of  the  product  in  question 
must  next  be  analyzed.  Under  this  heading  it  is  necessary  to 
study  the  consumption—for  the  territory  "as  a  whole  and  by 
states,  and  also  the  consumptionjof^each  buyingjinit  ( the  buy- 
ing unit  may  be  a  person,  a  family,  or  a  company,  or  in  some 


20  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

cases  even  a  whole  municipality).  It  is  well  also  to  ascertain 
the  consumption  per  square  mile  or  other  area. 

The  total  consumption  in  the  territory  indicates  what  per- 
centage of  the  business  it  is  necessary  for  us  to  get  in  order  to 
sell  our  present  output.  It  also  shows  whether  future  ex- 
pansions of  the  business  would  require  expansion  of  the  terri- 
tory, or  whether  it  might  be  taken  care  of  by  an  increased  per- 
centage in  the  same  territory. 

More  important,  the  analysis  as  a  whole  will  enable  us  to 
consider  the  relative  profit  to  be  secured  through  sales  to  a 
buying  unit  in  proportion  to  the  cost  of  reaching  this  buying 
unit  by  advertising.  The  cost  of  reaching  a  buying  unit  by 
any  form  of  advertising  remains  practically  constant;  hence 
the  amount  of  profit  to  be  derived  by  securing  its  trade  will  de- 
pend upon  the  amount  it  consumes. 

Suppose,  for  instance,  the  total  consumption  of  the  busi- 
ness is  1,000,000  packages  a  year,  and  our  output  is  100,000 
packages  a  year.  It  will  then  be  necessary  for  us  to  get  10 
per  cent  of  the  business.  If  the  buying  unit  is  a  person,  as  in 
the  case  of  a  breakfast  food,  and  the  population  of  the  terri- 
tory is  1,000,000,  then  the  per  capita  consumption  would  be 
one  unit.  If  we  find  that  in  order  to  develop  this  one-unit 
I  business,  it  is  necessary  to  reach  each  person  five  times  in  the 
f  course  of  a  year  in  advertising,  then  the  expense  in  proportion 
would  be: 

Price  of  one  unit 


Cost  of  reaching  a  person  five  times 

Or  if,  as  is  usually  the  case,  it  is  impossible  to  determine 
the  number  of  times  it  is  necessary  to  reach  a  person  in  order 
to  develop  that  business,  we  should  figure  the  price  we  should 
secur£Jor  one  unit,  determine«the^gross  profit,  andjfrom  that 
consider  an  arbitrary_percentage  for  advertising  ancTl;hereby 


THE   KIND   AND   EXTENT   OF  ADVERTISING  2I 

determine  the^moimL^^-Could^  spend  upon  each  person  to  get 
the  Susiness. 

As  advertising  should  be  weighed  against  the  cost  of  selling 
by  other  means,  we  may  profitably  study  the  square-mile  con- 
sumption figures.  If  the  square-mile  consumption  is  100  units,- 
the  percentage  we  should  secure  to  take  care  of  our  output  is 
10  units.  The  gross  revenue  from  10  units,  balanced  against 
the  time  and  expense  of  the  salesman  to  cover  the  square  mile, 
would  give  us  the  actual  cost  of  the  selling  operation  apart 
from  the  administration  or  advertising.  For  example, 

Price  of  10  units 


Time  and  expense  of  salesman  I  square  mile 

After  performing  these  operations,  we  are  in  a  position  to 
make  a  preliminary  estimate  of  the  following  factors: 

1.  The  percentage  of  the  possible  business  which  must 

be  taken  in  order  to  agree  with  the  output. 

2.  The  territorial  extent  of  operations. 

3.  The  possible  advertising  expense  per  buying  unit. 

4.  The  possible  unit  sales  expense. 

Competition. —  Other  factors  commonly  enter  the  situation, 
however,  which  have  a  tendency  to  modify  these  preliminary 
estimates.  Of  these  the  most  important  is  competition. 

If  our  competitors  already  exercise  a  strong  control  over 
the  business  of  the  territory,  it  may  be  possible  for  us  to  secure 
only  5  per  cent  of  the  business  instead  of  the  required  10  per 
cent,  in  which  case  the  territorial  limits  would  need  to  be  ex- 
tended. With  weak  competition,  on  the  other  hand,  it  might 
be  possible  to  secure  20  per  cent  of  the  business  and  thereby 
reduce  our  territory  and  consequently  reduce  other  expenses, 
such  as  transportation  and  salesmen's  costs.  The  cost  of  a 
salesman  traveling  over  a  square  mile  is  substantially  the  same, 


22  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

whether  he  sells  10  units  or  5  units.  Hence,  the  difference  in 
selling  expenses,  in  case  we  can  secure  5  per  cent  of  the  busi- 
ness, may  be  compared  to  that  in  which  we  get  10  per  cent  of 
the  business  in  the  following  manner : 

Value  of  10  units  Value  of  5  units 

^_ _.          as  — • 


Cost  of  time  and  expense       against       Cost  of  time  and  expense 
I  square  mile  I  square  mile 

For  these  reasons,  it  is  especially  important  to  analyze  the 
character  and  extent  of  the  competition  with  particular  refer- 
ence to  its  sales  and  advertising  activities  and  its  present  hold 
upon  the  trade. 

Prices. —  The  question  of  price  has  an  important  bearing 
not  only  upon  the  possibilities  of  the  market,  but  also  upon  the 
policy  which  characterizes  the  marketing  effort.  The  market 
price  at  which  an  article  is  to  be  sold  should  logically  be  based 
upon  the  cost  and  value  of  the  services  rendered  by  the  manu- 
facturer in  manufacturing  and  selling.  In  point  of  fact,  the 
rnnHiHnn  of  fVip^narkpt  with  reference  to  the  supply  and  de- 
mand of  the  product  actually  has  greater  influence  in  determin- 
ing the  price  aLwJaich^th?  product  can  be  sold  in  order  to  dis- 
pose of  the  output. 

This  is  particularly  true  in  the  case  of  staple  commodities 
sold  in  bulk  and  known  only  to  the  consumer  by  their  general 
name.  Here  the  price  which  can  be  quoted  is  limited  to  a  very 
small  fraction  over  and  above  the  general  price  which  supply 
and  demand  have  established  at  the  time.  In  some  cases  even 
the  slightest  fraction  above  the  ruling  price  is  enough  to 
destroy  the  possibilities  of  sale. 

In  the  case  of  manufactured  articles  that  are  bought  with 
more  or  less  discriminationjrojn^the  particular  manufacturers, 
and  which  reach  the  user  in  such  a  way  that  their  origin  can  be 


THE  KIND  AND   EXTENT   OF  ADVERTISING  23 

identified,  the  range  of^rices_ls_large  and  the  ^possibility  of 
securing  a  larger  QJ-  smaller  price  is  dependent  largely  upon 
the  reputation  Mrhirh  the  manufactur^r—bas-established.  To 
put  it  in  another  way,  it  depends  urjonjhe  value_pf  the  indi- 
viduaj.  service  and  the  strength  of  the  buying  habit  to  which 
it  appeals^ 

In  all  cases,  of  course,  price  has  a  certain  amount  of  in- 
fluence because  the  great  bulk  of  the  buying  public  for  almost 
any  commodity  is  obliged  to  figure  costs  so  closely  that^rjrice 
becomes  almosl_^u^nlmllin^Jnflu£nc.e.  upon  thf^arnonnt  of 
business  which  can  be  secured.  It  certainly  operates  in  this 
way  where  the  requirement  is  to  obtain  40,  50,  or  a  larger  per 
cent  of  the  market.  Where  the  percentage  required  is  much 
.smaller,  say  2,  3,  4  or  5  per  cent,  the  price  question  assumes 
much  less  importance  than  the  value  question,  which  is  a  com- 
ponent of  price  and  service. 

In  classes  of  products  where  the  consumer  has  a  habit  of 
discriminating,  a  goodly  percentage  of  the  consuming  public 
can  be  induced  to  pay  very  much  higher  prices  than  those  rep- 
resented by  the  majority  market — provided,  of  course,  value 
and  service  are  shown  to  be  worth  the  difference. 

The  relationship  between  price  and  percentage  of  busi- 
ness secured  is  therefore  mutual.  The  percentage  of  business 
which  must  be  taken  to  dispose  of  the  output  will  have  a  large 
bearing  upon  price,  and  in  its  turn  price  will  be  a  considerable 
factor  in  determining  the  amount  of  business  it  is  possible  to 
get.  It  will  also  have  an  important  bearing  upon  the  policy, 
arguments,  and  conditions  of  sale  which  form  the  basis  for  the 
sales  work  of  the  organization. 

Packages. — The  size  and  appearance  of  the  package  must 
alsoJ2£_studied.  Where  it  is  proposed  by  advertising  to  famil- 
iarize a  large  part  of,  the  buying  public  with  the  package  con- 
taining our  product,  it  is  of  utmost  importance  that  this 


24  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

package  should  carry  an  additional  argument  in  favor  of  the 
commodity  rather  than  one  against  it.  The  size  of  the  package 
should,  therefore,  suit  the  convenience  of  the  majority  of  the 
buying  public.  That  this  is  an  important  influence  is  shown 
by  the  fact  that  where  a  given  product  is  put  upon  the  market 
in  packages  of  various  sizes,  it  has  been  found  that  only  one- 
third  to  one-sixth  of  the  number  of  sizes  ordinarily  supplied 
by  a  manufacturer  obtain  any  large  percentage  of  sale.  The 
remaining  two-thirds  or  more  are  either  too  large  or  too  small 
for  the  average  buyer  and  are  sought  only  by  the  occasional 
purchaser. 

Any  manufacturer,  therefore,  would  do  well  to  go  into 
the  history  of  the  product  in  question  and  determine  what  is  the 
most  convenient  size.  Without  such  analysis  it  frequently 
happens  that  the  size  chosen  is  quite  inconvenient.  One  manu- 
facturer of  a  certain  product  determined  to  put  upon  the 
market  a  package  of  double  size  for  the  usual  price.  Appar- 
ently this  was  a  real  service  to  the  buying  public.  Events 
proved,  however,  that  the  amount  consumed  by  the  average 
buying  unit  was  so  small  that  there  was  no  advantage  in  the 
double-size  package  and  the  added  inconvenience  of  handling 
this  extra  bulk  made  it  defeat  its  own  object. 

The  package  is  of  interest  to  us  as  a  part  of  the  creative 
work  of  advertising  as  well  as  of  the  underlying  analysis.  It 
should  not  only  conform  in  size  to  the  buying  habits  of  the 
average  customer,  but  should  also  supply  a  part  of  the  sales 
appeal.  It  is  one  of  the  most  obvious  of  all  the  advertising 
possibilities  and  should  be  one  of  the  first  considered.  In  the 
case  of  articles  of  general  consumption  it  forms  a  continuous 
reminder  of  the  product  and  the  manufacturer.  Care  should 
be  taken  to  see  that  it  is  attractive  and  inviting  in  appearance 
and  distinctive  enough  to  avoid  confusion  with  the  packages  of 
competitors.  Progressive  manufacturers  before  putting  a 
new  product  on  the  market  often  have  several  packages  de- 


THE   KIND   AND   EXTENT   OF   ADVERTISING  25 

signed  and  submit  them  to  competitive  tests  to  determine  which 
will  take  best  with  the  public  by  giving  the  maximum  service 
from  the  standpoint  of  convenience  and  by  having  the  highest 
advertising  value. 


Buying  Habits.  —  The  analypjff  rf  thf  aTr»qunti-rnnsutT1pr1  by 
the  buvjng  unit  has  a  threefold  value. 

1.  It  indicates  the  lir^  of  Higtrihnflnri  t9...b?   followed. 
Oftentimes  there  are  alternative  lines  and  the  same  manufac- 
turer with  different  products  may  find  that  different  lines  need 
to  be  used. 

2.  It  gives  an  index  of  the  amount  of  effort  required  by 
the  purchaser  in  responding  to  the  advertising  appeal.    This 
effort  is  usually  translated  in  terms  of  dollars.  Thus,  the  lowest 

priced  article  Of  its  class,  for  pxamplr,  aiitnmi=4^4r<pnrHinari1y 

requires  less  advertising  than  its  higher  priced  competitors. 

£  It  mdicateTthe  rTtrrit  to  vrhirh  qnnntity.  hm  an  influ- 
ence npvn  th?  buying  habit  an^l  thn  d^gr^r*  l*n  which  a  differ- 
^w*  in  r.ost  would  affect  purchasers.  An  article  used  in  very 
small  quantities  is  ordinarily  bought  in  the  smallest  package 
and  a  larger  quantity  for  the  same  price  is  little  inducement. 
The  apparent  service  in  giving  more  for  the  money  is  fre- 
quently offset  by  the  loss  in  convenience. 

Closely  connected  with  the  analysis  of  amount  per  buying 
unit  is  the  analysis  of  the  ;_  number,  of  purchases  per  year  for^ 
the  average  buying  unit-  It  gives  an  indication  of  the  propor- 
tion of  revenue  which  can  be  spent  to  secure  the  custom  of  the 
individual.  It  indicates  also  whether  the  purchase  is  a  daily 
routine  or  an  occasional  requirement,  or  a  regular  but  special 
necessity.  It  indicates  the  strength  of  the  buying  habit  and 
the  length  of  time  usually  necessary  to  secure  a  certain  per- 
centage of  the  business.  In  some  lines  it  is  easier  than,  in 
others  to  swing  the  buyer  from  one  brand  to  another. 

When  all  the  factors  named  above  have  been  analyzed  and 


26  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

the  figures  determined  with  approximate  accuracy,  it  will  be 
possible  to  make  a  reasonable  estimate  of  the  advertising  ap- 
propriation allowable  for  a  year  to  develop  the  business.  This 
amount  should  not  exceed  that  which  will  be  required  to  main- 
tain the  market  after  sufficient  business  has  been  developed  to 
run  the  factory  to  capacity. 

Possibilities  of  Economic  Use. — The  economic  value  of  ad- 
vertising is  in  proportion  to  the  extent  and  discrimination  of 
the  buying  habit.  Most  staples  are  bought  without  discrimina- 
tion between  individual  producers.  Grades  are  standardized 
and  within  the  same  grade  price  is  the  controlling  factor. 
Changes  in  the  market  occur  through  changes  in  the  economic 
status  of  the  population  or  through  changes  in  prices.  There 
is  little  opportunity  for  advertising  to  effect  a  change. 

There  is,  however,  in  many  lines  formerly  considered 
staples,  a  grgHnajj^ndFncy  t™*^rd  jndj;n'r1iiQll''7afl>r)r>  Products 
like  sugar,  meat,  etc.,  which  used  to  be  bought  in  unidentified 
form  are  now  being  packaged  and  branded.  In  many  in- 
stances, this  tendency  is  due  less  to  the  attempt  to  market  in- 
creased supplies  than  to  a  desire  to  stabilize  the  market  already 
established  and  to  protect  good-will.  Such  attempts  have  rea- 
sonable chances  of  success  where  they  represent  a  real  and 
demonstrable  service  to  the  buying  public. 

The  economic  value  of  advertising  is  greatest  with  special- 
ized goods  in  which  the  skill  of  the  manufacturer  or  his  special 
advantages  in  materials  enable  a  differentiation  to  be  made  be- 
tween his  own  and  competing  products.  To  put  it  in  another 
way,  the  greatest  possibilities  for  advertising  exist  with  those 
commodities  about  which  the  manufacturer  has  much  to  say 
that  would  be  of  interest  to  the  buying  public.  There  are 
cages  in  which  adverdsiris.rxLnduct^  ty  wVinl^  effort  of  selling. 
There  are  many  others  in  which  advertisingjiaes  the  prelimi- 
nary work  and  personal  sales  effort  completes  the  process. 


THE   KIND   AND   EXTENT   OF  ADVERTISING  27 

In  the  latter  instance,  it  is  possible  to  determine  rather  defi- 
nitely how  much  may  profitably  be  spent  in  advertising.  A 
limited  experiment  will  show  how  much  the  efficiency  of  the 
sales  force  may  be  increased  by  advertising.  With  these  facts, 
the  total  amount  which  may  profitably  be  devoted  to  the  pur- 
pose can  easily  be  determined.  For  example,  assume  that 
through  the  use  of  advertising,  a  20  per  cent  increase  from 
the  same  amount  of  personal  sales  effort  may  be  secured ;  then 
the  cost  of  advertising  must  bear  the  same  relation  to  that 
percentage  that  the  sales  expense  bears  to  the  original  gross 
revenue.  That  is,  if  the  selling  force  does  a  business  of 
$100,000  without  advertising,  at  a  selling  cost  of  $25,000, 
and  it  is  possible  with  advertising  to  increase  this  to  $120,000, 
then  an  appropriation  of  $5,000  for  advertising  is  economically 
justified. 

The  analysis  of  economic  factors  outlined  in  this  chapter  is 
needed  as  a  basis  for  the  general  marketing  policy  of  a  busi- 
ness. The  data  should,  therefore,  be  available  in  any  going 
concern.  Unfortunately,  this  is  not  always  the  case.  Often- 
times the  business  has  grown  simply  through  the  accumulation 
of  individual  experience  and  no  attention  has  been  paid  to  a 
scientific  study  of  the  marketing  requirements.  The  lack  of 
such  study  may  not  be  seriously  felt  until  advertising  is  con- 
templated, because  personal  sales  work  is  flexible  and  can  be 
readily  accommodated  to  meet  changes  of  conditions.  When 
an  advertising  policy  is  established,  however,  and  has  been 
crystallized  in  some  form  of  publicity,  changes  cannot  be  made 
without  difficulty  and  expense.  Hence  the  information  on 
which  the  policy  is  to  be  based  must  be  in  hand  before  the 
actual  work  is  done,  and  in  fact,  before  the  plan  is  completely 
formulated. 

Personal  selling  may  be  likened  to  a  hand-operation.  Mis- 
takes may  be  remedied  by  the  skill  of  the  operator  and  may 
even  be  turned  to  advantage.  Advertising  is  like  a  machine- 


28  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

operation.  It  has  to  be  more  exactly  planned.  The  argu- 
ments, the  packages,  the  price,  condition  of  sale,  the  questions 
of  guarantee  and  other  kinds  of  consumer  service  must  be 
worked  out  in  advance  so  as  to  offset  difficulties  which  might 
seriously  affect  the  value  of  the  work  and  even  ruin  the 
machine.  Information  should  therefore  be  secured  and  prop- 
erly used  in  devising  a  plan  which  can  consistently  be  main- 
tained. 

It  should  be  noted  that  the  factors  here  discussed  are 
only  the  most  general  ones.  There  are  various  others  to  be 
considered  in  individual  cases.  Such  are  the  questions  of  alter- 
native kinds  of  distributors  and  special  conditions  resulting 
where  one  organization  or  group  of  organizations  control  so 
large  a  percentage  of  the  business  as  to  amount  to  a  virtual 
monopoly. 

There  are  also  sometimes  abnormal  conditions  of  trade 
in  which  the  relationship  of  supply  and  demand  is  materially 
altered.  When,  for  example,  the  available  supply  of  a  product 
is  inadequate  to  meet  the  normal  requirements  of  the  buying 
public,  and  attention  is  therefore  focused  upon  materials  and 
manufacture,  the  purposes  of  advertising  may  be  somewhat 
changed.  The  problem  may  then  be  that  of  conserving  dis- 
tribution, eliminating  waste,  protecting  established  good-will, 
and  accumulating  good-will  as  a  basis  for  more  aggressive 
sales  effort  when  conditions  become  more  nearly  normal. 

During  the  past  few  years  governmental  control  of  many 
industries  and  operations  has  introduced  an  important  new 
factor.  The  extent  to  which  this  will  be  effective  in  the  future 
cannot  be  determined  now.  The  tendency,  however,  should 
be  carefully  studied  with  special  relation  to  its  possibilities  of 
modifying  conditions  of  distribution  and  sale.  Special  condi- 
tions like  this  make  a  complete  analysis  of  marketing  condi- 
tions more,  rather  than  less,  necessary.  The  present-day  ad- 
vertiser is  no  longer  finding  it  safe  to  govern  his  plans  by 


THE   KIND   AND   EXTENT   OF   ADVERTISING 


29 


his  own  limited  experience  or  to  model  them  upon  methods 
that  have  proved  successful  for  other  companies  under  other 
circumstances.  More  and  more  he  is  coming  to  realize  that 
there  is  no  substitute  for  a  thorough -going  analysis  of  all  the 
factors  entering  into  marketing  before  deciding  upon  an  ap-- 
propriation  and  undertaking  an  advertising  campaign. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  ORGANIZATION  AND  THE  PRODUCT 

The  Sales  Force. — The  value  of  the  advertising  force  is  af- 
fected to  a  considerable  degree  by  the  other  marketing  forces 
of  the  business.  Chief  among  these  is  the  sales  organization. 
With  this  the  advertising  man  must  work  in  close  touch,  and 
it  is  necessary  that  he  start  with  a  thorough  knowledge  of  it. 

It  is  not  enough  for  him  to  know  that  there  are  a  certain 
number  of  sak^men  operating  in  a  certain  territory.  He  should 
know  how  they  -solicit  business,  whether  they  ^aell  to  the  ulti- 
mate user  or  to  middlemen,  and  whajt_service^if  any,  they  give 
the  buyers  kuaddition  trr-tekiflg  orders.  He  should  know 
whether  they  operate-Jfom-Jbranches  or  directly  from  the  fac- 
tory headcjuarters,  and  under  what  system.  He  should  know 
how  they  are  kept  in  touch  with  the  main  office — personally 
or  by  correspondence  and  reports.  He  should  know  the  extent 
and  character  of  their  sales  collectively  and  individually,  how 
they  are  hired  and  trained,  how  they  are  paid,  and  as 
much  about  their  personal  characteristics  as  he  can  discover. 
He  should  know  how  their  work  is  assisted  frojn  headquarters 
and  what  thejr  attitudeis  toward  advertising.  Often  it  will 
be  necessary  for  him  to  recommend  changes  in  procedure  in 
order  that  his  advertising  plan  may  reach  its  highest  degree 
of  effectiveness. 

More  important  still,  he  should  thoroughly  understand 
the  operating  policy  of  the  sales  organization.  Some  of  the 
questions  to  be  investigated  under  this  head  are  as  follows: 

I .    Do  the  salesmen  operate  under  the  jurisdiction  of 
branch  or  territorial  managers,  or  is  there  a  direct 
30 


THE   ORGANIZATION   AND   THE   PRODUCT 

contact  between  each  member  of  the  sales  force  and 
the  general  sales  manager? 

2.  Do  the  salesmen  operate  in  specific  territories  or  do 

they  specialize  upon  specific  lines  of  the  busi- 
ness ? 

3.  Are  they  engaged  exclusively  in  selling  the  product 

which  are  to  be  advertised,  or  does  the  selling  of 
such  articles  comprise  only  a  part  of  their  work? 
What  instructions  are  given  them  either  in  the 
form  of  sales  manuals,  periodic  letters,  or  in  any 
other  form? 

Familiarity  with  these  instructions  is  of  extreme  import- 
ance to  the  advertising  man  because  they  represent  the  con- 
densed experience  of  the  organization  and  contain  those  facts 
and  claims  upon  which  the  representatives  of  the  house  base 
their  solicitation. 

The  Product. — It  hardly  needs  to  be  said  that  any  adver- 
tising plan  should  be  prefaced  by  a  most  exhaustive  study  of 
the  product  to  be  advertised.  Cqrripari sons^should  be  made 
with  competing  products.  Naturally,  points  of  superiority  are 
most  lookecTfor,  a^Tthese  form  the  talking  points  used  both  in 
personal  selling  and  in  advertising,  but  disadvantages  (real  or 
apparent)  of  the  product  as  compared  with  others  should  not 
be  overlooked. 

The  investigation  should  not  end  here.  It  should  go  behind 
the  product  and  reach  the  men  and  materials  which  make  it 
what  it  is.  Every  organization  has  an  individuality  due  either 
to  its  growth  and  history,  to  the  workmen,  or  to  some  other 
source,  and  this  individuality  should  be  found  and  clearly 
visualized  by  the  advertising  man.  This  requires  study  and 
often  a  close  personal  touch  with  the  business.  The  distinctive 
differences  which  make  a  house  or  its  product  are  not  always 


32  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

on  the  surface,  yet  it  is  in  these  that  the  soul  of  the  proposition 
is  to  be  found  and  from  these  the  advertising  must  take  its 
keynote. 

It  is  the  prime  duty  of  the  advertising  man  to  provide  every 
possible  line  of  demarcation  whereby  the  individual  product 
which  he  is  advertising  can  be  separated  from  all  its  com- 
petitors. The  history  and  the  practice  of  the  organization  fur- 
nish one  indispensable  means  of  securing  this  result. 

Study  of  the  product  should  not  only  go  back  to  the  source 
from  which  it  originated,  but  should  also  go  forward  to  the 
place  where  it  is  consumed.  Indeed,  the  buyer's  viewpoint 
toward  the  product  is  often  more  illuminating  than  anything 
that  can  be  discovered  within  the  organization.  As  a  pre- 
liminary to  any  new  campaign  for  a  product  that  already  has 
a  foothold  in  the  market,  it  is  usually  desirable  to  conduct 
an  investigation  to  discover  in  just  what  esteem  it  is  held 
by  all  those  who  purchase  it  either  for  their  own  use  or 
for  resale.  Its  position  with  reference  to  the  class  to  which 
it  belongs  is  thus  discovered,  as  well  as  any  special  advantages 
or  defects  which  have  developed  through  the  experience  of 
the  buying  public. 

It  is  important  to  know  what  technical  information  is  re- 
quired in  buying  or  using  the  product.  Education  of  the  con- 
sumer may  prove  to  be  one  of  the  necessary  purposes  of  ad- 
vertising. This  education  may  not  be  merely  to  teach  the  con- 
sumer to  appreciate  the  product,  but  also  to  show  him  how  to 
get  the  best  service  from  it.  The  task  of  selling  a  complicated 
piece  of  machinery  to  factories  is  altogether  different  in  this 
respect  from  that  of  marketing  a  new  line  of  toilet  soap. 

The  way  in  which  the  product  Centers  the  buyer's  life 
shou4<LaJs^beinvestigated.  Is  it  for  business  purposes,  for 
use  as  a  household  utility,  or  as  something  which  affects  his 
social  life  or  his  personal  habits?  Whatj/ilue_dpes  he  attach 
to  it  and  how  does  he  discriminate  between  the  product  and 


THE  ORGANIZATION  AND  THE  PRODUCT      33 

its  competitors?  Even  in  the  same  general  class  there  are 
frequently  differences.  An  example  may  be  found  in  the  auto- 
mobile business.  The  automobile  itself  is  rarely  if  ever 
bought  by  one  who  is-  unacquainted  with  the  name  arid  charac- 
teristics of  the  particular  car  he  chooses.  In  some  lines  of- 
accessories,  however,  which  are  used  for  the  car,  the  buyer 
asks  for  them  by  the  name  in  less  than  one-third  of  the  cases. 
Some  of  the  supplies  required  for  the  running  of  the  car  are 
asked  for  by  brand  in  only  10  per  cent 'of  the  cases.  Similarly, 
in  the  field  of  household  utilities,  it  has  been  found  that  the 
housewife  discriminates  in  favor  of  a  particular  brand  of  floor 
wax  or  polish  five  times  as  frequently  as  she  does  in  the  case 
of  laundry  soap,  although  t>oth  articles  cost  so  little  that  the 
amount  of  money  involved  would  not  in  itself  indicate  a  rea- 
son for  this  difference. 

In  cases  where  discrimination  has  already  become  a  gen- 
eral habit,  advertising  becomes  quickly  effective,  because  no 
great  difficulty  is  experienced  in  educating  the  consumer  as 
to  the  importance  of  choice.  On  the  other  hand,  in  cases 
where  discrimination  is  not  exercised  to  any  great  extent  by 
the  consumer,  a  goodly  part  of  the  advertising  will  be  wasted 
unless  the  consumer  can  be  educated  to  acquire  the  habit  of 
discrimination. 

Channels  of  Distribution. — Another  force  which  affects  in 
some  degree  the  influence  of  advertising  is  that  supplied  by 
the  channels  of  distribution  through  which  the  product  must 
pass  on  its  way  from  the  producer  to  the  ultimate  consumer. 
There  are  four  general  channels  and  the  product  in  question 
must  fall  writhin  one  class  or  another  of  these: 

i.  Direct  from  manufacturer  to  consumer.  Here  the  pro- 
ducer is  directly  in  touch  with  the  consumer  either  through 
word-of-mouth  messages  or  words  on  paper.  This  condition 
is  usually  found  with  most  products  involving  -considerable 


34 


THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 


money  for  the  individual  order,  especially  such  as  are  bought 
in  connection  with  the  operation  of  a  business. 

2.  From  manufacturer  through  retailer  to  consumer.   Here 
there  is  one  middleman  involved  whose  efforts  may  add  to  or 
detract  from  the  force  of  advertising.     This  method  is  used 
with  those  products  consumed  by  the  general  public  which  are 
required  in  sufficient  quantity  by  the  individual  retailer  to  per- 
mit of  transportation  and  delivery  without  the  intervention  of 
a  wholesale  or  jobbing  house. 

3.  From  manufacturer  through  jobber  and  retailer  to  con- 
sumer.    Here  we  find  two  factors  through  which  the  response 
secured  from  advertising  must  pass  before  it  reaches  the  ad- 
vertiser.    Most  supplies  used  by  tKe  general  public  and  many 
supplies  used  by  business  pass  through  these  channels. 

4.  From  producer  through  commission  agent  through  re- 
tailer or   through   jobber   and   retailer   to  consumer.      This 
method  is  used  with  a  large  number  of  perishable  food  prod- 
ucts.    It  is  also  used  with  many  products  which  do  not  reach 
the  consumer  until  they  have  been  subjected  to  further  manu- 
facturing processes.      Oftentimes   products   passing  through 
this  channel  are  so  changed  in  form  that  it  is  difficult  for  the 
original  manufacturer  to  preserve  his  individuality  in  them. 

Within  each  of  these  fields  there  are  possibilities  for  varia- 
tion in  method.  A  change  from  one  method  to  another  is 
sometimes  made  advisable  by  .conditions  and  even  within  the 
same  general  group  changes  may  be  made,  as  for  example, 
changing  from  distribution  through  hardware  stores  to  dis- 
tribution through  druggists.  It  is  always  advisable  to  study 
the  relative  strength  of  distributors  not  only  in  the  territory 
as  a  whole,  but  in  various  sections  of  the  same  territory.  It 
has  frequently  been  found  that  while  it  was  wise  to  trade 
through  jobbers  and  retailers  in  certain  territories,  the  product 
could  be  handled  direct  through  retailers  in  other  territories. 
In  some  problems  which  the  advertising  man  has  to  face,  the 


THE  ORGANIZATION  AND  THE  PRODUCT 


35 


question  of  exclusive  jobbing  arrangements  and  exclusive  re- 
tail arrangements  will  become  important.  Choice  of  any 
method  of  distribution  will  depend  very  largely  upon  the  trade 
habits  of  the  field,  the  extent  of  buying  with  reference  to 
population,  and  the  influence  which  the  jobber  or  retailer 
holds  with  respect  to  the  buying  of  this  class  of  commodities. 

In  analyzing  the  product  with  reference  to  its  competition, 
there  are  factors  other  than  individuality  which  must  receive 
consideration.  The  most  important  are  quality,  attractiveness, 
and  price.  The  relative  status  of  these  three  items  varies 
greatly.  In  a  field  such  as  machine  tools,  or  instruments  of 
precision,  the  factor  of  quality  dominates  and  the  organiza- 
tion which  has  established  *a  reputation  for  this  does  not  find 
price  a  serious  barrier.  With  articles  going  to  the  general 
public,  however,  price  usually  determines  several  levels  or 
grades,  and  competition  is  largely  limited  to  articles  within 
the  same  price  class.  Automobiles  furnish  a  conspicuous  in- 
stance of  this.  In  many  cases,  such  as  canned  goods,  the 
question  of  quality  develops  into  one  of  attractiveness  in  con- 
nection with  the  package^  so  that  even  where  the  actual  prod- 
ucts in  competition  are  practically  equal  in  quality,  the  charac- 
ter of  the  package  has  been  sufficient  to  differentiate  the  prod- 
uct in  the  minds  of  the  public. 

All  these  three  items — quality,  price  and  attractiveness- 
should  be  carefully  studied  by  the  advertising  man  who  is  plan- 
ning a  campaign.  He  should  be  thoroughly  acquainted  with 
the  status  of  the  product  in  the  competitive  market,  not  only  the 
actual  status  as  established  by  the  facts  of  manufacture,  but 
the  reputation  as  established  in  the  minds  of  consumers. 


CHAPTER  V 

PURPOSE    OF    CAMPAIGN 

Establishing  Reputation. — Although  the  final  effect  of  ad- 
vertising is  to  increase  the  sales  of  a  product,  this  may  not  be 
the  specific  purpose  for  which  the  campaign  is  undertaken. 
This  purpose  may  be  any  one  of  a  number,  and  should  be 
decided  at  the  outset.  It  frequently  happens  that  a  business 
organizalkua^ueeds^advertising  for  the  extension  of  values 
alongLmore  general  linesin  connection  with  the  organization 
and  i^s__rriarket.  Sometimes  it  is  necessaj^LJtQ_iorestall  diffi- 
culty by  establishing,  relations  of  ronfidenre  wijl^J-lip  public, 
not  rrfel:ely_jn_jC£xnn£Ct^  but  in  connection 

with  the  organization  itself. 

In  the  last  ten  years  of  rapidly  increasing  activity  along 
industrial  lines,  many  concerns  which  have  started  and  gained 
a  considerable  amount  of  business  have  been  obliged  to  devise 
advertising  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  an  organization 
reputation.  This  has  been  particularly  the  case  with  organi- 
zations making  a  number  of  products,  where  the  sale  of  the 
one  product  cannot  altogether  carry  the  sale  of  another  prod- 
uct, but  where  an  established  organization's  reputation  can 
increase  the  sale  of  both.  It  is  obvious  that  the  plan  of  action 
will  materially  'differ  if  this  is  to  be  the  central  idea.  The 
media  must  be  chosen  from  their  standing  and  authority  and 
their  association  with  reputable  matters.  Every  piece  of 
printed  matter  must  have  the  same  general  physical  make-up 
and  style,  so  that  it  will  help  to  individualize  the  organization. 

Extending  Organization  Values. — Allied  to  this  matter  of 
establishing  reputation  is  that  of  extending  the  value  of  the 

36 


PURPOSE   OF   CAMPAIGN  37 

organization  by  suggesting,  not  so  much  its  repute,  but  the 
individual  character  of  its  actions.  This  point  of  view  has 
been  necessary  in  a  number  of  cases  where  it  is  difficult  for 
the  consumer  to  determine  from  ttie  appearance  or 'general 
survey  of  a  product,  the  value  which  *it  will  posses  for  his 
purpose,  and  where  consequently  the  discrimination  is  not 
exercised  except  in  a  negative  way.  There  are  many  products 
which  may  be  made  to  look  equally  good  with  a  50  per  cent 
difference  in  cost.  In  such  cases  the  only  hope  of  the  serious 
manufacturer  is  to  extend  his  organization  value  to  the  public 
by  showing  the  care  that  is  taken  in  giving  to  the  public  a 
product  which  will  fulfill  the  purposes  required  of  it  and  pos- 
sess a  value  equal  to  the  price  which  is  asked  for  it.  The  plan 
'  which  requires  this  point  of  view  will  not  particularly  affect 
the  choice  of  media,  but  it  will  have  an  important  bearing 
on  the  nature  of  the  advertisements  required. 

Extending  Uses. — Where  an  organization  has  secured  as 
much  business  as  would  seem  to  be  reasonably  possible 
under  the  usual  method  of  consuming  the  product,  it  has  fre- 
quently been  able  to  discover  new  uses  for^he  product  which 
could  be  suggested  to  the  general  public,  opening  up  new  lines 
of  consumption  and  consequently  new  lines  of  sale.  This 
has,  in  fact,  been  one  of  the  most  important  selling  and  manu- 
facturing developments  of  recent  years,  and  in  it  the  adver- 
tising man  has  had  a  considerable  share.  With  his  keen  appre- 
ciation of  the  value  of  the  new  thing,  the  new  idea,  the  new 
suggestion,  he  has  seized  upon  discoveries  of  the  manufacturer 
as  opening  up  the  way  for  an  additional  appeal  to  the  public 
and  an  additional  value  in  his  work.  Sometimes  this  exten- 
sion of  use  has  required  the  entry  into  advertising  fields  dif- 
ferent from  those  required  by  the  original  problem;  in  other 
cases  it  has  meant  merely  a  rearrangement  of  the  old  adver- 
tising methods  rather  than  an  entirely  new  development.  In 


38  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

any  case  the  choice  of  the  media  is  subject  to  a  somewhat  dif- 
ferent consideration,  where  this  is  the  purpose  of  the  campaign. 

Gaining  Distribution.— Probably  a  considerable  number  of 
advertising-  rampa.ig-n£  which  are  undertaken,  particularly  by 
young  rnr^rerr^  are  for  the  purpose  of  gaining  a  larger  dis- 
tributiorL^of  the^  product,  either  over  a  wider  area  or  more 
intensi^jdy  ovg£_th£_area  previously  covered.  Where  distribu- 
tion is  required,  the  importance  of  the  distributor  must  be 
very  carefully  considered.  As  has  been  noted  many  times; 
the  influence  of  the  distributor  varies  with  the  character  of 
the  product  but  is  never  insignificant,  and  in  many  cases  it  is 
more  important  to  maintain  the  good-will  of  the  distributor 
than  it  is  to  inform  the  public. 

We  have  altogether  discarded  the  idea  which  was  extant 
ten  years  ago  that  it  was  unnecessary  to  pay  any  attention  to 
the  distributor  provided  the  public  was  reached.  We  coined  a 
new  phrase  to  express  that  idea,  "consumer  demand,"  and  it 
took  us  several  years  to  find  out  that  the  consumer  demand 
was  mostly  a  theory:  that  in  practice  there  were  very  few 
products  upon  whjch  the  consumer  insisted  and  very  many  in 
regard  to  which  the  dealer  advised.  Nevertheless,  even  today 
we  are  in  the  habit  of  minimizing  the  importance  of  the  dealer 
and  putting  a  large  part  of  our  effort  and  attention  upon  the 
public  without  regard  to  the  character  of  the  product  or  the 
influence  of  the  dealer  in  opening  or  closing  the  channels  of 
distribution. 

Where  we  desire  to  gain  distribution  through  the  regular 
channels,  the  particular  interests  of  the  jobber  and  the  dealer 
should  be  taken  into  consideration,  and  media  should  be  used 
in  which  they  are  vitally  interested  and  which  are  most  service- 
able to  them.  The  character  of  the  product  will  determine 
whether  the  consumer  should  be  appealed  to,  but  no  campaign 
which  has  for  its  purpose  wider  distribution  can  afford  to 


PURPOSE   OF   CAMPAIGN  39 

neglect  the  appeal  to  the  dealer.  A  complete  study  of  those 
periodicals  in  which  he  is  interested  and  those  lines  of  adver- 
tising which  he  uses  is  therefore  necessary. 

Increasing  Consumption. —  This  case  is  quite  the  reverse  of 
the  previous  case.  If  it  is  desirable  that  we  should  attempt  to 
increase  the  sale  of  an  article  by  increasing  the  consumption 
of  it  per  unit  of  population,  then  the  energy  must  be  directed 
towards  the  consumer.  The  retailer  should  be  considered  to 
the  degree  to  which  the  increased  consumption  will  benefit  his 
business  but  the  educational  work  must  be  done  with  the  con- 
sumer and  the  campaign  must  be  laid  out  for  that  purpose. 

Solidifying  Sales. — In  the  increasing  analysis  which  has 
been  given  to  the  character  of  sales  work  and  the  factors  which 
enter  into  its  efficiency,  many  organizations  have  discovered 
that  while  they  were  steadily  increasing  their  business,  the 
mortality  of  accounts  was  greater  than  it  should  be  and  it  was 
necessary  to  get  a  large  percentage  of  new  customers  each  year 
in  order  to  make  up  for  this  mortality  as  well  as  to  increase 
the  output.  Such  concerns  have  begun  to  use  advertising  as  a 
means  of  stabilizing  the  sales,  by  expressing  to  the  consumer 
not  merely  the  reasons  why  the  product  should  be  bought,  but 
the  advantage  of  its  continuous  use. 

The  principal  effect  upon  the  advertising  operation  of  this 
kind  of  purpose  in  the  campaign  is  its  effect  upon  the  copy. 
The  media  which  are  used  will  in  general  be  the  same  as 
those  employed  when  the  'idea  is  to  increase  consumption,  but 
the  copy  will  be  worked  out  with  an  attempt  to  stabilize  the 
use  of  the  product  so  that  a  continuance  of  this  use  may  be 
secured  in  a  larger  percentage  of  individual  cases.  This  means 
a  play  upon  the  service  idea  in  advertising.  It  is  the  idea 
which  has  brought  into  being  a  lot  of  information  designed 
to  make  the  use  of  the  product  a  familiar  habit  so  that  it 


40  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

becomes  a  part  of  the  regular  process  of  life.  It  is  not  con- 
cerned so  much  with  stating  the  value  of  the  product  as  a 
thing  to  be  bought,  as  with  stating  the  service  which  can  be 
secured  from  the  use  of  the  product  and  emphasizing  that  in  a 
great  many  ways. 

Identifying  Trade-Mark. — The  extensive  use  of  advertising 
for  the  performance  of  sales  work  has  tended  to  place  new 
emphasis  on  the  trade-mark.  In  many  cases  where  trade- 
marks were  secured  before  advertising  became  an  important 
part  of  the  work,  it  has  been  found  that  the  trade-mark  is  a 
tax  upon  the  memory,  that  it  is  not  readily  distinguished  from 
other  trade-marks,  or  that  in  some  way  it  fails  to  perform  its 
function  as  an  identification  of  the  manufacturer's  goods.  For 
this  reason  advertising  may  become  necessary,  either  to  estab- 
lish a  new  trade-mark  in  the  place  of  the  old  one,  or  to  indi- 
vidualize a  trade-mark  which  previously  did  not  give  proper 
identification,  or  even  to  suggest  to  the  public  the  pronuncia- 
tion of  a  trade-name,  so  that  there  can  be  no  mistake. 

In  such  cases  the  purpose  of  the  advertising  campaign  is 
somewhat  different  from  any  that  have  been  discussed.  It  is 
chiefly  concerned  with  reaching  the  largest  possible  number 
of  consumers  of  the  article,  with  instructions  which  will  enable 
them  to  identify  the  trade-mark,  with  suggestions  as  to  its 
meaning,  and  with  indications  of  its  value.  This  purpose  of 
the  campaign  will  affect  very  intimately  the  choice  of  the 
media,  the  use  of  printed  matter,  and  the  character  of  the  copy. 
It  must  be  considered  as  a  part  of  the  central  planning  if  the 
whole  operation  is  to  be  co-ordinated  to  the  greatest  advantage. 

Familiarizing,  Educating,  Stimulating. — The  purpose  of  ad- 
vertising per  se  is  to  increase  public  knowledge  of  a  particular 
product,  organization,  or  service,  so  that  the  effectiveness  of 
any  one  of  these  will  be  greater.  In  its  general  plan  of  action, 


PURPOSE   OF   CAMPAIGN  41 

therefore,  it  must  always  attempt  to  increase  the  familiarity 
with  these  things  so  that  they  may  become  a  part  of  the  life 
of  the  business  man,  the  farmer,  the  householder,  etc.  It  must 
further  be  prepared  to  educate  men  in  the  use  of  its  product 
and  in  how  to  get  most  value  from  it.  In  addition  it  must  be- 
sufficiently  stimulating  to  transmute  the  effect  of  the  adver- 
tising into  buying. 

The  general  purpose  of  the  campaign  may  be  either  one 
or  all  of  these.  Their  relative  importance  in  connection  with 
the  campaign  must  be  determined  by  a  close  study  of  the  posi- 
tion of  the  business,  its  history,  the  distribution,  and  the  charac- 
ter of  its  product.  The  advertising  which  is  prepared  must 
have  these  things  in  mind  so  that  it  is  unconsciously  bent  to- 
wards their  development  and  so  that  there  is  no  break  in  the 
successive  steps.  Much  of  the  effectiveness  of  advertising  is 
lost  because,  while  the  media  have  been  more  or  less  carefully 
chosen  in  connection  with  their  individual  value  for  the  prob- 
lem in  hand,  and  the  copy  and  display  have  been  painstakingly 
worked  out,  the  assembled  pieces  of  advertising  do  not  repre- 
sent an  orderly  progress  in  the  conception  of  a  central  idea 
designed  to  increase  the  familiarity  of  the  product  or  service, 
to  extend  the  knowledge  of  its  usefulness,  or  to  stimulate  the 
desire  for  it. 

These  three  items,  in  fact,  sum  up  the  present  chapter. 
They  include,  if  they  are  properly  studied,  all  the  other  pur- 
poses for  which  an  advertising  campaign  may  be  started.  They 
also  indicate  view-points  that  should  be  kept  in  mind  in  the 
actual  execution  of  the  advertising  work.  Before  this  can  be 
begun,  however,  it  is  necessary  to  give  consideration  to  other 
aspects  of  the  science  of  advertising.  These  will  be  explained 
in  the  following  chapters. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE    TRADE-MARK 

Meaning  of  the  Trade-Mark. — One  of  the  first  constructive 
steps  in  the  actual  execution  of  most  advertising  campaigns  is 
the  adoption  of  a  trade-mark,  or  the  consideration  of  the  trade- 
mark already  existing,  with  the  object  of  determining  whether 
it  should  be  retained,  modified,  or  supplanted  by  another.  In 
a  large  percentage  of  cases,  of  course,  the  trade-mark  has  been 
adopted  before  the  planning  or  even  the  contemplation  of  any 
advertising  campaign,  for  the  trade-mark  itself  has  long  been 
recognized  as  an  almost  essential  method  of  identifying  the 
products  of  a  craftsman  or  manufacturer.  Originally  it  was 
a  symbol  stamped  or  marked  upon  or  woven  into  the  goods. 
Survivals  of  this  ancient  method  of  treatment  are  still  to  be 
found  upon  many  tools,  pieces  of  furniture,  golf  clubs,  etc. 

Most  of  the  early  trade-marks  and  their  later  descendants 
were  pictorial.  In  many  instances,  the  craftsman  who  thus 
identified  his  handiwork  was  unable  to  read  and  write,  as  were 
many  of  his  customers ;  hence  the  mark  required  pictorial  treat- 
ment to  accomplish  its  purpose.  These  marks  usually  illus- 
trated place,  environment,  name  of  the  craftsman,  or  the  qual- 
ities of  the  article  as  a  leading  part  of  the  design. 

While  the  trade-mark  in  itself  is  a  very  old  method  of  iden- 
tification, and  while  the  law  in  regard  to  it  dates  back  hundreds 
of  years,  its  extended  use  in  the  modern  sense  dates  back  to 
the  beginning  of  industrial  expansion  and  the  growth  of  inter- 
national trade.  Before  that.time  few  of  the  products  required 
by  people  of  various  countries  were  distributed  over  any  great 
distance.  As  sales  were  generally  made  by  personal  contact, 
the  necessity  for  identification  was  comparatively  small. 

42 


THE  TRADE-MARK  43 

As  the  products  of  industry  began  to  travel  further  afield 
arid  to  pass  through  more  hands  on  the  way  to  the  final  con- 
sumer, the  need  of  protecting  them  against  substitution  was 
more  keenly  felt.  Sometimes  the  trade-marks  were  applied 
by  the  manufacturer  and  sometimes  by  the  jobber  or  other 
merchant;  but  in  all  cases,  the  reason  was  the  same — namely, 
that  the  goods  themselves  might  exhibit  the  particular  indi- 
viduality behind  them.  This  meant  that  the  reputation  estab- 
lished for  this  particular  product  was  less  likely  to  be  impaired 
by  substitutes  and  that  the  buyer  in  turn  might  be  surer  of 
securing  the  article  of  his  choice. 

Today  the  value  of  a  trade-mark  is  even  greater  from  the 
view-point  of  the  advertiser.  It  facilitates  the  memory  of  the 
article  described  in  general  publicity,  it  aids  in  its  recollections 
at  the  moment  of  need,  and  assists  in  identification  at  the  time 
of  purchase.  The  scope  of  the  trade-mark  has  likewise  been 
widened  until  now  it  includes  not  only  simple  pictorial  designs, 
but  words  or  trade-names,  and  trade-characters.  This  exten- 
sion in  value  and  use  has  brought  with  it  a  serious  problem  in 
the  selection  and  protection  of  the  trade-mark  itself.  It  is 
no  easy  matter  to  secure  a  trade-mark  which  wrill  fulfil  all 
requirements.  Indeed,  in  some  lines  there  are  trade-marks 
which  so  closely  resemble  one  another  that  their  chief  purpose 
of  identification  is  largely  lost,  and  no  one  of  the  marks 
achieves  its  purpose.  This  condition  is  guarded  against  to 
some  extent  by  the  rather  rigid  requirements  of  the  trade-mark 
law,  which  is  designed  to  help  manufacturers  to  protect  them- 
selves and  their  customers  against  competitors  who  may  be 
unscrupulous  enough  to  attempt  to  profit  from  a  reputation  al- 
ready established. 

Legal  Requirements. — The  trade-mark  law  in  the  United 
States,  as  well  as  in  Great  Britain,  its  colonies,  and  dependen- 
cies, is  based  upon  the  common  law  right  of  the  consumer  to 


44  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

be  protected  against  substitution  in  his  buying  and  the  rights 
of  the  manufacturer  to  the  exclusive  use  of  a  trade-mark  for 
that  purpose.  The  right  of  the  manufacturer  to  the  use  of  a 
particular  trade-mark  is  determined  by: 

1 .  Whether  or  not  he  is  the  first  user  of  the  mark. 

2.  Whether  the  mark  conflicts  with  some  other  to  a 

sufficient  degree  to  confuse  the  buyer  and  lead  to 
possible  damage  to  the  manufacturer's  business  in 
that  way. 

In  order  to  afford  a  practical  and  easy  means  of  determin- 
ing his  position,  the  man  who  is  using  a  trade-mark  may  regis- 
ter it  with  the  patent  office,  giving  copies  of  the  mark,  the 
date  of  its  first  use,  and  other  particulars.  The  patent  office 
authorities  will  not  register  the  mark,  if  it — 

1 .  Is  descriptive  of  the  product. 

2.  Involves  the  use   of  a  geographical,   historical,   or 

proper  name. 

3.  Conflicts     with     other     previous     marks     to     their 

knowledge. 

After  application  and  passage  through  the  examiner's  hands, 
the  mark  is  published  in  the  official  gazette  for  thirty  days, 
during  which  time  anyone  affected  may  protest  against  its 
registration.  Unless  a  protest  is  made,  the  mark  is  registered. 
The  registration  of  a  mark  does  not  confer  any  rights  upon 
the  registrant.  If  some  other  party  has  continuously  used  the 
mark  from  a  date  prior  to  the  registrant's  first  use  of  it  he  can 
claim  the  right  to  the  mark  although  he  has  never  registered 
it  and  did  not  protest  the  registrant's  application.  What  the 
registration  does,  is  to  give  the  registrant  prima  facie  evidence 
of  ownership  and  lay  the  burden  of  proof  to  the  contrary  upon 
the  other  party.  The  difficulties  of  the  case  are  not  decreased 
by  the  fact  that  the  files  of  trade-marks  in  the  patent  office  are 
not  cross-indexed  thoroughly  and  a  search  may  not  establish 


THE  TRADE-MARK  45 

all  the  information.  Neither  are  these  files  representative  of 
all  trade-marks,  as  there  are  numbers  of  marks  in  the  United 
States  which  are  not  registered  at  all  and  which  may  not  be 
discovered  at  the  time  of  adoption  of  the  trade-mark  by  the 
registrant. 

It  is  not  generally  understood  by  sales  and  advertising  exec- 
utives that  trade-marks  are  not  property — they  are  merely  an 
identification  and  cannot  themselves  be  transferred,  bought,  or 
sold.  They  can  be  transferred  only  as  part  and  parcel  of  a 
business.  In  this  respect  they  differ  from  patents;  this  dif- 
ference must  be,  well  understood. 

Foreign  Requirements. — In  some  European  countries  and  in 
some  South  American  countries  the  trade-mark  laws  are  en- 
tirely different  from  those  obtaining  in  the  United  States.  In 
these  countries  the  first  registrant  of  a  trade-mark  is  the  owner 
of  the  mark  and  the  prior  use  of  it  by  another  individual  or 
corporation  does  not  affect  the  matter.  There  are  a  number 
of  well-known  cases  where  American  concerns  have  found 
their  trade-marks  already  pre-empted  by  local  concerns  in 
several  of  these  South  American  countries  and  they  have 
been  put  to  trouble  and  expense  to  straighten  the  matter  out. 

In  most  cases  the  time  required  to  procure  registration  in 
foreign  countries  is  very  much  longer  than  that  required  in 
this  country,  even  though  there  be  no  delays  or  protests.  Reg- 
istration of  trade-marks  therefore  should  be  fully  attended 
to  before  there  is  any  prospect  of  goods  arriving  in  quantity 
in  the  foreign  market,  so  that  no  difficulty  will  be  experienced 
after  trade  is  once  established.  Furthermore,  the  question  of 
applicability  of  trade-marks  to  the  conditions  of  the  country 
and  the  population  should  be  studied,  as  the  trade-mark  which 
is  thoroughly  suitable  for  the  United  States  may  be  utterly 
unsuited  for  operations  in  countries  speaking  entirely  differ- 
ent languages  and  having  different  customs  and  conditions. 


46  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

Certificate  Countries. — The  United  States  has  a  convention 
agreement  with  a  number  of  countries,  whereby  among  other 
things  a  corporation  domesticated  in  the  United  States  must 
have  secured  a  certificate  of  registration  in  this  country  before 
applying  for  registration  in  other  countries.  Other  conven- 
tions between  different  countries  affect  the  operations  of  trade- 
marks in  the  various  quarters  of  the  globe.  The  colonies  of 
some  countries  handle  their  own  trade-mark  affairs ;  in  others 
they  are  taken  care  of  by  registration  in  the  parent  country. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  ramifications  of  trade-mark  practice 
are  so  many  that  a  competent  trade-mark  attorney  is  necessary 
when  considering  such  questions.  There  should  be  no  ques- 
tion about  securing  such  advice  as  it  is  the  only  method  of 
keeping  out  of  difficulty  and  getting  results  worth  while. 

Psychological  Requirements. — Wholly  apart  from  the  legal 
requirements,  it  is  to  the  advertiser's  interest  to  secure  a  trade- 
mark which  shall  be  individual  and  at  the  same  time  have  the 
greatest  possible  advertising  value.  In  general,  the  more 
easily  and  correctly  a  trade-mark  is  recollected  and  the  more 
quickly  and  certainly  it  is  recognized,  the  higher  will  be  its 
value.  For  this  reason,  any  contemplated  trade-mark  should 
be  studied  from  a  psychological  view-point  to  determine  its 
recognition  and  recall  value. 

Most  trade-marks  are  made  up  of  one  or  more  of  the 
following  materials: 

1 .  Pictures  (Old  Dutch  Cleanser,  Scott's  Emulsion,  Gold 

Dust,  etc.) 

2.  Words  (Keen-Kutter,  Uneeda,  Sapolio,  etc.) 

3.  Geometrical  forms  (star,  triangle,  cross,  circle,  crown, 

etc.) 

4.  Syllables  or  disconnected  groups  of  letters  (B.  V.  D., 

A.  B.  C,  etc.) 
These  kinds  of  material  are  not  of  equal  value.    The  fol- 


THE  TRADE-MARK  47 

lowing  table  shows  how  large  are  the  differences  in  value  for 
correct  recognition  and  for  correct  recall.  The  figures  give 
the  number  of  repetitions  required  to  correctly  recall  and  rec- 
ognize each  series  of  twenty  items  of  the  four  different  kinds 

of  material: 

Material  Recognition  Recall 

Pictures    1.04  3.36 

Forms   1.80  3.96 

Words    2.64  4.76 

Syllables 5-8o  7-12 

Recognition  is  here  seen  to  be  about  twice  as  easy  as 
recall  in  all  kinds  of  material.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  recogni- 
tion is  the  more  important  consideration  in  the  case  of  most 
articles  that  appear  on  the  shelves  of  the  dealer  with  the  trade- 
mark plainly  showing.  It  is  worth  wrhile  to  observe  at  this 
point,  however,  that  the  relatively  greater  difficulty  of  recall 
makes  it  desirable  that  the  advertiser  should  use  window  dis- 
play and  other  forms  of  reminder  advertising  in  all  cases 
where  it  is  likely  that  the  article  will  have  to  be  asked  for  by 
name  in  order  to  be  secured. 

Where  the  field  of  selection  is  entirely  open  in  the  choice 
of  a  trade-mark,  it  is  clear  that  pictures  have  a  distinct  advan- 
tage in  that  they  are  remembered  and  recognized  much  more 
easily  than  are  geometrical  forms,  words,  or  syllables.  Inci- 
dentally, the  picture  in  the  form  of  a  trade-character  or  per- 
son has  a  further  advantage  of  possibilities  of  action  and  of 
variety,  neither  of  which  is  so  easily  secured  with  other  kinds 
of  trade-marks.  It  is  unquestionable  that  the  many  forms  of 
human  activity  in  which  the  Gold  Dust  Twins  and  the  Cream 
of  Wheat  darky  have  been  presented  to  us  have  had  much  to 
do  with  the  popularization  of  these  trade-marks. 

With  certain  classes  of  articles,  the  field  of  selection  is 
limited  by  considerations  of  dignity,  so  that  the  use  of  a  pic- 
torial trade-mark  may  be  inadvisable.  Then  too,  it  may  be 


48  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

that  the  method  of  distribution  is  such  as  to  make  it  necessary 
that  the  article  be  asked  for  by  name  rather  than  pointed  out 
by  recognition  of  some  design.  Under  such  conditions  a  trade- 
name  has  to  be  adopted.  Certain  trade-names  have  by  long 
use  and  effective  advertising  become  of  tremendous  value  to 
an  organization.  Some,  like  Vaseline  and  Kodak,  have  even 
been  admitted  to  the  dictionary  in  recognition  of  the  fact  that 
they  are  a  part  of  the  language,  though  each  of  them  is  a  trade- 
name,  the  exclusive  property  of  a  single  company.  Neither  of 
these  words  originally  meant  anything.  •  They  are  coined 
words,  which  have  acquired  their  present  value  largely  through 
advertising. 

Coined  words  furnish  one  of  the  best  solutions  to  the  prob- 
lem of  securing  a  good  trade-name.  Such  coined  words  are 
commonly  derived  from  a  number  of  different  sources.  Among 
these  the  following  are  perhaps  most  valuable: 

1 .  Derivations  of  proper  names  (no  longer  registerable). 

Examples:   Listerine,  Tobasco,  Munsingwear. 

2.  Shortenings  and  extensions  of  words  (especially  de- 

rivatives of  familiar  words).  Examples:  Pianola, 
Shinola,  Indestructo,  Chiclet,  Wheatlet,  Leatherette, 
Tabs,  Polarine. 

3.  Combinations  of  initial  letters  or  initial  syllables  of 

the  company's  name.  Examples:  Reo,  Armco, 
Pebeco,  Nabisco,  Clupeco,  Socony. 

4.  Compounds  of  familiar  elements.    Examples:  Palm- 

olive,  Walkover,  Holeproof,  Jap-a-Lac,  Waxit, 
Daylo. 

5.  Simplified  or  disguised  spellings.    Examples:  Uneeda, 

Holsum,  Keen-Kutter,  Klim  (milk),  Shookid, 
Odorono,  Ryzon. 

6.  Foreign  words,  compounds,  and  derivatives.     Exam- 

ples:   Lux,  Cuticura,  El  Rado,  Bon  Ami. 


THE  TRADE-MARK  49 

7.  Arbitrary  formations.     Examples:    Kodak,  Vaseline, 
Mazda,  Keds,  Crex,  Tiz,  Kryptok. 

In  choosing  a  trade-name  the  following  requirements  are 
ordinarily  sought: 

1 .  It  must  be  easy  to  pronounce.     People  hesitate  to  ask 

for  Djerkiss  or  Creme  Yvette  or  Alghieri  for  fear 
of  mispronouncing  the  names.  The  advertisers 
must  therefore  use  valuable  space  to  teach  the  cor- 
rect pronunciation. 

2.  It  must  be  reasonably  short.    The  length  of  Glycothy- 

moline  makes  it  almost  impossible  to  remember. 

3 .  It  must  have  a  pleasant  suggestion.    Words  like  Zig- 

gie,  Mum,  and  Tootsie  Rolls  sound  either  silly  or 
vulgar  to  many  people.  Euphonious  words,  espe- 
cially such  as  combine  the  harsh  consonants  k,  x, 
or  £  with  the  vowel  o  and  the  liquid  I,  m,  n,  or  r  are 
usually  good. 

4.  It  must  be  apt,  that  is,  appropriate  to  the  article. 

General  words,  like  Usit,  Superior,  or  Eureka  are 
of  little  value.  Even  worse  are  words  that  by  their 
association  with  familiar  elements  give  a  wrong 
impression  of  their  character  and  purpose.  One 
might  easily  suppose  that  Vinol  contains  oil,  that 
El  Rado  is  a  cigar  or  that  Hipolite  is  a  lighting 
device — all  of  which  suppositions  would  be  far 
from  the  facts. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE    CHIEF    PSYCHOLOGICAL    PROBLEMS 
INVOLVED 


The  Value  of  Psychological  Study. — In  the  preparation  of 
any  advertising  campaign  today,  some  consideration,  more  or 
less  scientific,  is  almost  invariably  given  to  the  psychological 
aspects  of  the  situation.  Indeed,  the  term  "psychology"  has 
been  so  much  used  and  abused  by  advertising  men  that  its 

true  significance  is  occa- 
sionally overlooked.  There 
are,  however,  some  agencies 
and  other  organizations 
that  conduct  fairly  exten- 
sive psychological  investi- 
gations as  a  part  of  the 
work  of  planning  any 
scheme  of  advertising.  Such 
investigations  frequently 
enable  them  to  avoid  errors 
which  would  interfere  seri- 
ously with  the  success  of 
the  project. 

To  the  individual  en- 
gaged in  advertising  work, 
whether  in  the  preparation 
of  copy  as  writer  or  illus- 
trator, or  in  the  buying  or 
selling  of  advertising  space, 
or  in  the  general  supervi- 
sion of  any  part  of  the 


The  GJrard 
Smile 


Any  good  cigar  is  a  comfort  while  you 
are  smoking  it;  but  the  matter  of  its  after-effect 
is  also  important  The  extraordinary  virtue  of 


is  that  they  combine  mildness  and  full  flavor. 
This  means  that  you  get  a  satisfying  "man's 
size"  smoke  and  yet  do  not  pay  the  heavy 
after-penalties  of  very  strong  cigars. 

The  Girard  is  designed  to  make  every- 
body smile. 

Girard  cigars  are  made  in  1 4  sizes,  from  3 
for  a  quarter  to  20c.  straight. 

Antonio  Roig  &  Langsdorf 
E,tabli,Hed  1871 


An  appeal  to  appetite  and  sensual 
gratification 


50 


PSYCHOLOGICAL  PROBLEMS  INVOLVED       51 

process,  a  knowledge  of  fundamental  psychological  principles 
is  often  of  direct  help.  The  actual  processes  may  be  artistic, 
technical,  or  commercial,  but  the  methods  have  their  basis  in 
recognized  laws  of  the  mental  process.  The  reason  for  this 
lies  in  the  fact  that  advertising  depends  finally  upon  the  com- 
munication of  ideas  and  feelings  from  one  person  or  group  of 
persons  to  another. 

The  original  meaning  of  advertising  was  to  "turn  toward" 
or  "direct  to."  The  modern  purposes  of  advertising,  as  has 
already  been  shown,  are  to  direct  established  buying  habits  to- 
ward particular  products  rather  than  toward  other  products 
in  the  same  class  of  products  in  general,  or,  to  direct  attention 
toward  products  for  which  the  buying  habit  has  not  been  estab- 
lished at  all.  The  term  "creating  a  need"  is  sometimes  em- 
ployed to  describe  this  latter  purpose,  though  as  a  matter  of 
fact,  it  would  be  more  exact  to  say  the  attempt  is  to  awaken 
a  need  which  was  latent  all  the  time  but  not  consciously 
realized. 

In  carrying  out  these  purposes,  the  advertiser  is  confronted 
with  four  main  tasks.  These  he  must  successfully  accomplish 
if  his  campaign  as  a  whole,  or  any  individual  piece  of  copy,  is 
to  reach  its  highest  effectiveness, 

Knowledge  of  the  Market. — The  first  problem  is  that  of 
knowing  the  pre-existing  needs  of  the  community  at  large  and 
especially  the  needs  of  the  particular  individuals  with  purchas- 
ing power.  A  knowledge  of  the  fundamental  needs  of  men 
and  women  is  thus  the  first  requisite  in  the  equipment  of  the 
advertising  man.  This  knowledge  is  equally  necessary  for  ap- 
pealing to  existing  needs  or  for  stimulating  new  needs. 

Knowledge  of  the  Commodity.— The  second  problem  is 
that  of  discovering  in  the  particular  product  to  be  advertised 
the  qualities  which  have  the  power  of  satisfying  the  definite 


52  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

needs  of  possible  buyers.  This  analysis  reveals  at  once  the  na- 
ture of  the  task  to  be  undertaken  in  the  campaign.  It  indi- 
cates whether  the  article  will  be  bought  because  of  some  emo- 
tion, such  as  fear,  ambition,  or  love,  or  whether  the  purchase 


Loyalty  to  those  with  whom  we  have  been  pleasantly  associated 

will  be  made  wholly  upon  a  reason  basis.  It  indicates  whether 
the  buyer  must  be  educated  to  a  recognition  of  the  need  for 
the  class  of  article,  or  whether  all  that  is  necessary  is  to  per- 
suade him  that  the  particular  article  will  satisfy  his  recog- 


Fear,  devotion,  and  bodily  safety 
53 


54 


THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 


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Motor  Co., 

World's    Largest  Build*™  of 
T.vo  Cycle  Marine  Motors 

1402  Caille  St.,    Detroit,  Mich. 


The  play  instinct 


nized  need  better  than  will 
others  of  its  kind.  It  indi- 
cates whether  the  article  is 
to  be  consumed  itself  or  to 
be  used  in  the  production 
of  other  articles  which  will 
satisfy  the  needs  of  the 
buyer. 

Establishing  the  Asso- 
ciation.— Where  these  two 
analyses  have  been  made, 
the  third  task  is  that  of  es- 
tablishing the  connection  or 
association  between  the 
more  or  less  definite  and 
conscious  needs  of  the 
buyer  and  the  specific  com- 
modity advertised.  To  do 
this  means  to  create  mental 
habits,  thought  habits,  ac- 
tion habits,  of  such  a  sort 
that  the  feeling  of  the  need 
at  once  suggests  to  the  mind 
of  the  individual  the  com- 
modity in  question.  This 
implies  a  knowledge  of  the 
laws  of  thinking,  the  laws 
of  association,  the  pheno- 
mena and  characteristics  of 
memory,  the  facts  of  habit, 
and  the  general  character- 
istics of  human  action  and 
human  behavior.  It  also 


PSYCHOLOGICAL  PROBLEMS  INVOLVED 


55 


involves  a  knowledge  of  the  way  in  which  men  and  women 
make  their  decisions,  and  the  way  in  which  they  are  persuaded 
and  convinced. 


HER  property — her  little  ones — her  own  life — she  knows  are  safely  protected 
when  she  has  a  Savage  Automatic  in  her  home.    She  knows  its  ten  sure  shots 
are  at  her  command — quick  or  slow,  as  she  chooses — one  to  each  trigger  pull. 
And  what's  more,  she  knows  it  is  safe — knows  at  a  glance  or  touch  if  it  is  loaded. 
That  is  why  she  does  not  fear  the  Savage.     Are  jour  little  ones  and  property  safe? 
Send  6c  in  stamps  for  book  "If  you  Hear  a  Burglar."     Send  today 


Savage  Arms  Company,  79  Savage  Avenue,  Utica,  N   Y 

Makers  of  the  Famous  Savage  Rifles. 


Safety  first! 

Making  the  Association  Dynamic. — The  fourth  and  final  task 
is  that  of  making  the  association  dynamic.    The  mere  associa- 


THE   PRINCIPLES   OF   ADVERTISING 


m,;;;i: 


Finding  the 

"Hidden  Profits" 

in  Your  Dollars 

"V/TANY  a  conserva- 
-*"  •*•  tive  investor  lias 

found  new  profits  concealed  in 
his  invested  funds  and  increased 
his  income  by  purchase  of  sound 
first  mortgage  bonds  yielding 
6%  interest.- 

Of  course,  the  yield  from  one's 
investment  is  far  less  important 
than  safety  of  principal  and  certainty 
of  interest.  He  who  sacrifices  safety 
in  pursuit  of  greater  income  commits 
the  gravest  of  mistakes. 

However,  it  is  not  difficult  to 
increase  the  yield  from  one  a  invest- 
ments without  any  real  sacrifice  of 
safety.  The  first  mortgage  serial 
bonds  we  own  and  offer  return  6% 
interest  and  are  so  thoroughly  safe- 
guarded that  no  investor  has  ever 
suffered  loss  of  principal  or  interest 
on  any  security  purchased  of  us. 

^Ve  will  be  pleased  to  explain 
the  merits  of  these  bonds  and  to 
show  -why  they  combine  assured 
safety  with  a  larger  interest  yield 
than  most  other  securities  of  equal 
soundness. 

On  application  wt  will 
send  The  Investors  .J^ag- 
azine,  our  monthly  fiublt- 
cation,  and  literature  of 
value  to  every  investor. 

Ask  for  Circular  No.  501C. 

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MORTGAGE""-* BOND  BANKERS 

'  e*TA8LISHEO  1682 

STRAUS  BLDG.  ONE  WALL  ST. 

CHICAGO  NEW  YORK 


The  acquisitive  instinct 


tion  between  the  need  and 
the  product  is  futile ;  it  must 
be  realized  in  specific  ac- 
tion. The  person  upon 
whom  the  advertising 
works  must  not  only  feel 
his  need  and  recognize  that 
the  qualities  of  the  com- 
modity are  such  as  to  satis- 
fy his  need;  he  must  also 
be  stimulated  to  the  act  of 
purchase,  of  inquiry,  or  of 
definite  receptivity. 

The  first  two  problems 
defined  in  this  chapter  are 
problems  of  conception  and 
planning.  They  overlap  in 
some  ways  the  discussion 
of  economic  factors  which 
has  been  given  in  previous 
chapters.  The  analysis  of 
the  commodity,  in  fact,  is 
largely  an  economic  prob- 
lem that  involves  technical 
and  industrial  familiarity 
with  the  product.  Some 
aspects  of  the  matter, 
however,  deserve  special 
consideration  from  a  psy- 
chological view-point  which 
will  be  given  in  the 
chapter  immediately  fol- 
lowing. 

The  last  two  problems 


PSYCHOLOGICAL  PROBLEMS  INVOLVED       57 

here  defined  are  largely  problems  of  execution.  The  psycho- 
logical principles  involved  in  solving  them  are  explained  in 
Chapters  IX  to  XII.  The  actual  work  of  applying  these  prin- 
ciples to  the  construction  of  the  individual  advertisement  will 
receive  detailed  treatment  in  later  chapters. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE    CHIEF    HUMAN    NEEDS    AND   THEIR 
SATISFACTION 

Characteristic  Animal  Needs. — Human  beings  share  with 
animals  certain  fundamental  and  essential  needs.  The  differ- 
ences in  these  needs  are  chiefly  differences  of  quality  and 
complexity  rather  than  of  kind,  but  even  among  the  different 
species  of  animals,  such  differences  are  observable.  In  the 
higher  animal  forms,  for  instance,  we  find  the  function  of 
metabolism  highly  differentiated  and,  in  consequence,  the  need 
for  particular  foods  and  particular  drinking  places.  Combined 
with  the  functions  of  sensitivity  and  reproduction,  this  func- 
tion of  nutrition  develops  into  specific  needs  for  shelter,  pro- 
tection from  physical  danger  and  attack,  bodily  defense,  meth- 
ods of 'storing  up  food,  and  more  and  more  aggressive  meth- 
ods of  securing  it.  The  care  and  training  of  the  young,  the 
processes  of  mating,  the  incipient  tendencies  toward  commun- 
ity existence,  develop  the  needs  of  play,  exercise,  combat,  lead- 
ership, and,  to  a  certain  extent,  division  of  labor.  In  this 
process  of  animal  development,  specific  modes  of  behavior  are 
formed  and  perpetuated,  which  we  call  instincts. 

The  Instincts. — These  instincts  were  originally  developed 
as  convenient  tools  for  the  certain  and  safe  struggle  for  exis- 
tence. Both  animals  and  primitive  man  found  certain  modes 
of  reaction  to  be  most  effective  in  dealing  with  certain  given 
objects  and  situations.  The  individuals  that  reacted  promptly 
and  definitely  in  these  appropriate  ways  survived  and  left  off- 
spring that  possessed  the  same  inborn  tendencies  to  reaction. 
Those  that  failed  to  react  in  these  appropriate  ways  perished 

58 


HUMAN    NEEDS    AND   THEIR    SATISFACTION  59 

and  left  no  progeny.  During  this  long  process  of  selection 
each  animal  form  developed  tendencies  to  react  in  the  ways 
which  race  history  had  proved  most  expedient.  These  reflex 
mechanical  tendencies  are  said  to  be  instinctive.  Groups  of 
these  tendencies  which  were  closely  similar  in  character  or  re- 
sult, or  in  the  situations  and  objects  which  prompted  them,  are 
for  convenience  classed  together  and  called  single  instincts. 

When  we  speak  of  special  instincts  it  should  be  borne  in 
mind  that  we  do  not  mean  perfectly  definite  and  distinct  sets 
of  movements  which  will  be  carried  out  in  the  same  way  on 
all  occasions.  We  mean  rather  a  somewhat  loosely  classified 
set  of  special  connections  between  stimulus  and  response,  each 
connection  being  itself  definite  and  specific,  and  the  various 
tendencies  being  more  or  less  related  to  each  other  on  the 
basis  of  their  consequences  or  the  kind  of  object  provoking 
them.  Thus  the  instinct  of  curiosity  does  not  lead  us  to  do 
always  some  one  particular  sort  of  thing  or  series  of  things. 
But  in  general,  to  things  which  are  new,  or  sudden,  or  unex- 
pected, or  in  motion,  or  intense,  or  in  any  other  way  novel 
or  unusual,  we  respond  by  varied  movements,  such  as  turning 
the  head,  craning  the  neck,  pricking  up  the  ears,  extending 
the  hand,  prodding  with  the  foot,  etc.,  etc.  The  particular 
movements  and  the  objects  inducing  them  may  be  infinitely 
varied,  but  in  general,  the  objects  are  novel  and  unfamiliar 
and  the  reactions  are  inquisitive,  explorative,  and  investiga- 
tive. This  is  why  we  group  the  various  specific  connections 
together  under  the  name  "instinct  of  curiosity."  Much  the 
same  thing  is  true  of  all  the  other  instincts. 

Though  the  instincts  developed  in  this  way,  their  impor- 
tance soon  ceased  to  be  wholly  or  chiefly  biological.  Their 
gratification  became  a  source  of  pleasure  and  the  failure  of 
their  gratification  became  a  source  of  annoyance.  They  also 
tended  to  become  more  and  more  subtle  and  highly  elaborated, 
more  and  more  specialized  and  complex. 


6o 


THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 


Among  primitive  men  the  instincts  were  few  and  compara- 
tively simple.    As  the  race  progressed  they  assumed  many  new 

'Thank  you, 
dear;  this  is 
real  soap" 

For  the  man  who  wants  to 
feel  clean  and  fanou)  that  he  is 
clean,  provide  a  soap  that  will  Jo 
more  than  cleanse — a  soap  that 
will  soolhe,  purify  and  disinfect. 

That  Soap  is  Lifebuoy.  In 
addition  to  rich  cocoanut  and 
red  palm  oils,  it  contains  an  in- 
gredient recognized  the  world 
over  as  unequalled  in  healing, 
purifying,  antiseptic  power. 

The  first  clean  whiff  of  Life- 
buoy will  assure  you  of  that  — 
but  the  odor  soon  disappears, 
leaving  behind  it  only  a  faint, 
refreshing  suggestion  of  whole- 
some, immaculate  cleanliness. 

Lifebuoy  does  not  slide  greasily 
over  the  surface;  its  creamy, 
copious  lather  works  down  into 
the  pores  and  cleans  them  out — 


The  name  "Lifebuoy"  was  given  to  it  year 
ago  because  it  is  the  life-preserver  of  thcsk.it 


rids  the  skin  of  the  dirt,  the  grime, 
the  stains,  the  odors  of  perspi- 
ration— and  leaves  it  pink-and- 
white,  soft  and  moist. 

Use  Lifebuoy  for  perfect  cleanliness; 
for  relief  from  chafe  and  skin  irritations; 
for  protection  to  the  skin  ;  for  the  match- 
less clearness  and  "youthful  delicacy  of 
the  "Lifebuoy  Complexion";  for  the  sen- 
sation of  renewed  vitality  and  buoyant 
energy  which  it  adds  to  the  bath.  "~ 

Lifebuoy  is  a  pure,  safe  soap  —  its 
purity  is  backed  by  a  $5000  guarantee. 
Try  it  at  the  washstand  and  in  the  bath 
and  you  will  always  use  it. 

Get  it  from  your  grocer  or  druggist— the  price 
is  only  5  cents.  If  you  dp  not  find  it  readily  send 
5  cents  (stamps  or  com)  for  a  big,  generous 
cake  to.  LEVER  BROS.  CO..  Department  8. 
Cambridge,  Mass. 


HEALTH  SOAP 


Be  clean 

manifestations.  Among  the  new  forms  were  cunning,  orna- 
mentation, and  decoration.  Out  of  the  elementary  instincts 
of  fear  and  curiosity  developed  vague  tendencies  of  worship 


HUMAN   NEEDS   AND   THEIR  SATISFACTION  61 

and  reverence.  With  the  growth  of  family  and  tribal  relation- 
ships came  instincts  of  loyalty,  honor,  obedience,  and  sym- 
pathy. Out  of  the  instinct  for  health  arose  cleanliness.  Thus, 
simple  animal  instincts  gradually  became  overlaid  with  the 
results  of  training,  habit,  and  custom,  and  the  needs,  desires 
and  cravings  of  each  individual  were  infinitely  multiplied. 

Instincts  of  Civilized  Men. — Even  in  the  highest  stages  of 
civilization  the  needs  of  men  and  women  can,  for  the  most 
part,  be  traced  back  to  the  fundamental  needs  of  animals.  The 
main  differences  are  in  variety,  subtlety,  ease  of  modifiability, 
and  susceptibility  of  training  which  characterize  the  needs  of 
civilized  people.  Three  tendencies  may  be  pointed  out,  each 
of  which  has  particular  importance  for  the  advertising  man: 

1.  The  various  elementary  instincts  persist,  and  perhaps 
new  forms  are  added,  but  they  tend  to  become  less  and  less 
specific  arid  more  easily  modifiable.     The  lower  animal  could 
hardly  be  advertised  to,   for  his  reactions  are  formed  in  a 
more  or  less  iron-clad  way,  and  relate  to  definite  objects  and 
situations  in  his  life.     But  the  human  being  shows  instinctive 
tendencies  which  may  be  directed  toward  new  objects  and  situ- 
ations, and  the  original  needs  and  response  tendencies  may  be 
very   much   modified,    elaborated,    added   to,    and   otherwise 
changed  by  education,   entreaty,   appeal,   argument,  and  ex- 
perience. 

2.  Elaborate  traditions,  customs,  and  sanctions  are  devel- 
oped, treasured  in  art,  education,  and  in  religious  and  civic 
ceremonial.     These  become  early  impressed  on  the  individual, 
and  once  impressed,  assume  the  coerciveness  of  instincts.     To 
each  of  them  correspond  new  needs  and  cravings  which  must 
be  satisfied.     Indeed  these  new  needs  may  even  become  more 
coercive  than  the  cruder  instinctive  cravings,  since  they  are 
supported  and  encouraged  by  the  sentiment  of  the  community, 
the  sanction  of  the  state,  and  the  verdict  of  history.     These 


62 


THE   PRINCIPLES    OF  ADVERTISING 


reinforcements  the  instinctive  needs  seldom  receive.  Cleanli- 
ness, chivalry,  piety,  honesty,  purity,  patriotism,  chas- 
tity, obedience,  co-operation, 
and  countless  habits  of  daily 
life,  needs  of  the  moment, 
requirements  of  this  and  that 
occupation,  class,  etc.,  illus- 
trate these  new  needs  which 
characterize  civilized  human 
beings.  To  all  of  them  the 
advertising  man  can  appeal. 
3.  In  the  struggle  to 
achieve  many  of  these  de- 
sires, certain  still  more  va- 
ried and  distinctively  social 
values  arise,  values  which 


We  built  that  Crane 

This  fine  working  model  of  a  rotating 
crane  is  one  of  a  hundred  models  a  boy 
can  build  with  Meccano.  He  can  start 
building  at  once.  There  is  nothing  to 
delay -his  enthusiasm.  Simple  but  me- 
chanically correct  —  that's  Meccano. 


Your  boy  can  bujld  -working  models  of 
cranes,  bridges,  towers,  railways,  and  machin- 
ery of  various  types.  Think  of  the  glorious 
fun  and  endless  variety  in  Meccano  for  your 
boy  It's  the  ideal  gift  to  give  him. 

2V1ECCAMO 

consists  of  bright  plated  steel  strips,  angle 
brackets,  sector  plates,  gear  and  pulley 
wheels,  bolts  and  nuts— in  fact  everything 
necessary  for  building,  including  tools, 
No  extras  to  buy.     There  are   13 
Meccano  outfits  ranging  from  $1 
to  $36.     For  sale  at  Toy  and 
Department  Stores. 

Book  No.  5 

gives  the  ab- 
sorbing story  of  Meccano. 
$Vrite  for  it  today 

Meccano 
Company 

Inc. 
71  W.  23rd 

Street 
New  York 


serve  mainly  to  distinguish 
one  individual  from  another, 
one  group  from  other 
groups,  in  the  eyes  of  the 
community  at  large.  Ideals 
of  style,  fashion,  prestige, 
exclusiveness,  propriety,  eti- 
quette, all  the  vagaries  and 
fancies  of  the  leisure  class 
and  the  dilettanti — these  no 
less  than  the  more  biological 
necessities  of  existence  con- 
stitute human  needs.  They 
form  triggers  of  reaction,  explosion  points  of  response,  which 
need  but  to  be  touched  off  to  bring  about  vigorous  behavior. 
These  effective  conceptions  and  habits  and  ideals,  along  with 
the  social  needs  and  values  and  sanctions,  combined  with  the  in- 
stinctive requirements  and  the  fundamental  organic  necessities, 


The  building  instinct 


HUMAN   NEEDS    AND   THEIR    SATISFACTION  63 

all  these  are  the  original  needs  of  the  community  which  the 
advertiser  must  know  intimately  and  in  great  detail. 

Relation  of  Instincts  to  Emotions. — All  these  demands  are 
represented  in  conduct  by  tendencies  to  act.  They  take  the 
form  of  impulses,  cravings, 
desires,  wants,  habits,  and 
customs,  and  represent  from 
the  point  of  view  of  distri- 
bution what  we  call  the 
"needs"  of  the  community. 
Practically  they  may  all  be 
treated  together  as  modes  of 
behavior  and  tendencies  to 
respond. 

Each  of  the  instincts  is 
the  basis  of  a  corresponding 
emotion.  The  instinct  is  a 
tendency  to  react,  but  each 
characteristic  reaction  is  ac- 
companied by  an  equally 
characteristic  feeling  or  emo- 
tion. Sometimes  this  bears 
the  same  name  as  the  in- 
stinct. Thus  "fear"  means 
either  a  way  of  behaving  or 
a  way  of  feeling,  and  hence 
is  either  an  instinct  or  an 
emotion. 


YOU  Can  Rise 

to  a  Position 

of  Power 

To  hold  a  position  of  power  you 
need  to  know  more  about  your  par- 
ticular business. 

The  secret  of  power  and  success  is  to 
KNOW  EVERYTHING  ABOUT 
SOMETHING. 

Right  along  these  lines  the  Internationa! 
Correspondence  Schools  train  men  for  Posi- 
tions of  Power. 

The  I.  C.  S.  gives  you  "concentrated." 
knowledge.—  specialized  training  that  en- 
ables you  to  master  easily  and  quickly 
everything  you  need  to  know  to  advance. 

If  you  can  read  and  write,  the  I.  C.  S. 
can  .help  you  to  succeed  in  the  occupation 
of  your  own  selection.  To  be  convinced  of 
this,  just  mark  and  mail  the  coupon — the 
I.  C.  S.  will  ser.d  you  detailed  information 
as  to  just  how  you  can  be  qualified  to 
advance  higher  and  higher. 

Marking  the  coupon  involves  no  obliga- 
tion-en your  part—  do  it  now. 


An  appeal  to  ambition 


Suggestive  List  of  Instincts  and  Emotions. — Since  the  chief 
purpose  of  many  advertisements  is  to  appeal  to  these  instincts 
in  such  a  way  as  to  prompt  an  active  response,  the  advertising 
man  will  find  it  profitable  to  make  a  somewhat  detailed  study 


64 


THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 


of  them.  An  exhaustive  list  cannot  be  given,  but  an  enumera- 
tion of  the  more  important  will  be  found  useful  in  the  analysis 
of  the  commodity,  the  planning  of  the  campaign,  and  the  actual 
preparation  of  the  copy  and  display. 

The  following  tabulation  includes  those  which  have  been 
most  frequently  appealed  to  in  advertising.  Along  with  a 
suggestive  name  for  the  instinct  are  given  the  emotions  for 
which  the  instinct  constitutes  the  basis.  The  characteristic 
acts  which  are  designated  by  the  instinct  name  are  also  given 
in  each  case.  This  list,  while  not  in  any  sense  a  complete  sur- 
vey of  needs,  will  be  found  a  convenient  basis. 


The  Instinct  and  Its 
Corresponding  Emotions 

1.  APPETITE    (Hunger, 
Tastefulness,       Sensual 
Enjoyment) 

2.  COMFORT    (Calm,    Rest- 
fulness,   Relaxation, 
Ease) 

3.  SEX    (Passion,    Lust, 
Love,  Coquetry) 

4.  DEVOTION        (Faithful- 
ness,    Loyalty,     Affec- 
tion) 

5.  PLAY  (Merriment,  Play- 
fulness, Sport,  Joy,  Hu- 
mor, etc.) 

6.  FEAR   (Timidity,  Fear- 
fulness.   Anguish,   Cau- 
tion) 


The  Sort  of  Behavior  to   Which  It 
Prompts  Us 

To  gratify  and  exercise  the  senses  and 
to  continue  the  stimulation  for  so 
long  as  the  stimulation  remains  pleas- 
ant. (Illustration,  page  50.) 

To  avoid  pain  of  any  kind,  by  flight,  by 
removal  of  the  stimulus,  or  by  various 
overt  acts  of  evasion  or  aggression. 

Definite  responses  toward  the  opposite 
sex  in  general  or  toward  particular 
members  of  it. 

To  protect  and  be  loyal  to  our  depend- 
ents or  to  those  with  whom  we  have 
long  been  pleasantly  associated.  (Il- 
lustrations, pages  52  and  53.) 

To  work  off  superfluous  energy,  either 
alone  or  with  others,  and  to  enjoy  this 
process  either  in  action  or  in  contem- 
plation. (Illustration,  page  54.) 

Retractile  or  inhibitory  reactions  be- 
fore definitely  dangerous  objects,  as 
indicated  by  the  experience  o;f  the 
race.  (Illustration  page  55.) 


HUMAN   NEEDS   AND   THEIR   SATISFACTION 


The  Instinct  and  Its 
Corresponding  Emotions 

7.  ACQUISITIVENESS   (Pro- 
priety, Selfishness,  Stin- 
giness, etc.) 

8.  HUNTING  (Cruelty,  Ea- 
gerness, etc.) 


9.  SOCIABILITY  (  Lone- 
someness,  Sociableness, 
Hospitality) 

10.  COMPETITION     (Emula- 
tion,    Jealousy,     Ambi- 
tion, etc.) 

11.  CURIOSITY   (Inquisitive- 
ness,  Longing  to  Know) 


12.  SHYNESS    (Modesty, 
Bashfulness,   Reserve) 

13.  ORNAMENTATION 
(Beauty,  Display,  Pride 
in  Appearance) 

14.  IMITATION 


15.  REVENGE    (Anger,    Ha- 
tred, Resentment) 

CLEANLINESS  (Purity, 
Decency,  Wholesome- 
ness) 


The  Sort  of  Behavior  to   Which  It 
Prompts  Us 

To  accumulate  and  store  up  objects. 
To  save,  to  bargain,  etc.  (illustra- 
tion, page  56.) 

To  pursue  and  destroy  various  objects, 
especially  if  they  are  inferior  in 
power  and  in  motion.  Related  to 
Combativeness  and  Playfulness. 

To  be  gregarious,  to  form  groups,  to 
have  chums,  and  to  react  to  the  ad- 
justments of  other  members  of  our 
group. 

Conquest,  leadership,  domination  of  in- 
feriors, rivalry  with  equals,  and 
jealousy  of  superiors.  (Illustration, 
page  63.) 

To  examine  novel  objects  for  which 
ready-made  protective  responses  are 
felt  to  exist.  Explorative  and  inves- 
tigative conduct 

To  avoid  strange  objects  and  situations 
which  are  felt  to  be  superior  yet  well 
disposed,  and  for  which  there  is  un- 
certainty of  protective  response. 

To  decorate  one's  person  or  one's  be- 
longings, and  to  exhibit  them  in  a 
favorable  light. 

More  or  less  general  tendencies  to  act 
as  others  act,  to  behave  with  the 
crowd,  etc. 

To  resent,  by  overt  attack  or  other- 
wise, the  aggression  of  others  against 
ourselves  or  against  those  to  whom 
we  are  devoted. 

To  conceal  or  remove  filth  from  one  s 
person  or  from  one's  belongings.  Il- 
lustration, page  60.) 


66 


THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 


The  Instinct  and  Its 
Corresponding  Emotions 

17.  WORSHIP    (Piety,    Rev- 
erence, Faith) 

18.  CONSTRUGTIVENESS 


19.  SYMPATHY        (Sorrow, 
Pity,  and  their  allies) 

20.  CUNNING  (Secrecy,  In- 
trigue, Slyness) 

21.  PRIDE    (Haughtiness, 

Conceit,  etc.) 


The  Sort  of  Behavior  to   Which  It 

Prompts  Us 

To  reverence,  do  obeisance  to,  and  feel 
subordinated  to  the  hopelessly  super- 
ior. 

To  build,  create,  invent,  and  construct, 
for  the  sheer  pleasure  of  manipulation 
and  success.  (Illustration,  page  62.) 

To  aid  unfortunates,  especially  those 
who  suffer  in  ways  in  which  we  have 
ourselves  suffered. 

To  plan  in  secret,  to  circumvent,  to  use 
strategy. 

To  favor  our  own  work,  possessions, 
abilities,  etc. 


22.  GRATITUDE     (Thankful- 
ness, Gratefulness,  etc.) 

23.  THE  COMIC   (Laughter, 
Amusement,      Hilarity, 
etc.) 

24.  HARMONY     (Symmetry, 
Proportion,        Balance, 
Conceit,  etc.) 


To  feel  and  act  well  disposed  toward 
the  sources  of  our  pleasure. 

This  instinct  shows  itself  chiefly  in  the 
tendency  to  tease  or  banter,  or  to  en- 
joy seeing  others  teased  or  bantered 
by  other  people  or  by  nature. 

The  tendency  to  continue  or  to  effect 
arrangements  in  time  or  space,  which 
display  such  qualities  as  those  indi- 
cated including  also  Rhythm,  Melody, 
etc 


The  Relative  Strength  of  Instincts  and  Interests. — It  is  not 
enough  that  the  advertising  man  know  the  general  features  of 
these  instinctive  reaction  tendencies.  He  must  also  know  to 
what  degree  he  can  appeal  to  them  in  advertisements,  to  what 
degree  this  or  that  appeal  is  strong,  not  only  in  general  life, 
but  particularly  as  a  basis  of  appeal  in  merchandising.  This 
will  depend  somewhat  on  the  general  strength  of  the  instincts, 
somewhat  on  the  preceding  tendencies  of  advertising  copy,  and 


HUMAN    NEEDS    AND   THEIR    SATISFACTION  67 

partly  on  contemporary  tendencies.  Thus  when  patent  medi- 
cine advertisements,  with  their  lurid  claims  and  false  pretenses, 
have  strenuously  assaulted  the  instinct  which  makes  us  long 
for  health  and  bodily  comfort,  a  breakfast  food  which  claims 
to  be  health-giving  may  be  made  distasteful  by  the  mere  fact 
of  its  association  in  the  same  class  as  the  patent  medicines. 
Not  only  must  the  advertiser  know  human  nature  in  general, 
but  he  must  also  keep  his  finger  on  the  public  pulse  and  know 
what  motives  and  values  are  in  circulation. 

In  our  own  day,  experiments  have  shown  in  quite  definite 
ways  the  relative  strength  of  various  appeals  which  can  be 
used  as  selling  points  in  advertising  copy.  The  experimental 
methods  have  been  checked  up  by  the  analysis  of  actual  ad- 
vertising campaigns  and  the  detailed  examination  of  the  re- 
sults of  particular  pieces  of  copy.  Of  special  interest  is  the 
following  table  of  persuasiveness,  which  shows  the  relative 
strength  of  various  sorts  of  selling  points,  for  the  educated 
classes  of  our  present  day,  when  the  results  for  men  and  women 
are  combined. 

THE  TABLE  OF  PERSUASIVENESS 

Showing  the  relative  strength  of  various  appeals  to  in- 
stincts and  interests  as  determined  by  experiments  on  the 
pulling  power  of  advertisements. 

The  highest  possible  value  is  100,  the  lowest  is  o.  Values 
range  thus  from  o  to  100,  the  appeal  indicated  by  the  highest 
number  being  the  strongest  in  pulling  power.  The  actual 
values  range  from  4  to  94,  with  either  men  or  women,  and 
from  10  to  92  when  men  and  women  are  combined. 

Appeal  Strength 

Healthfulness    92 

Cleanliness 92 

Scientific  Construction   88 

Time    Saved 84 

Appetizing  82 


68  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

Appeal  Strength 

Efficiency  82 

Safety 80 

Durability    78 

Quality  72 

Modernity 72 

Family  Affection   70 

Reputation   of  Firm 58 

Guarantee 58 

Sympathy    54 

Medicinal 5° 

Imitation    5° 

Elegance    48 

Courtesy    48 

Economy    48 

Affirmation    42 

Sport    42 

Hospitality    42 

Avoid  Substitutes    32 

Clan  Feeling 18 

Nobby,  etc 16 

Recommendation    , 14 

Social    Superiority    12 

Imported    10 

Beautifying   10 

Application  to  Analysis  of  Commodity . — The  table  of  per- 
suasiveness deserves  careful  study,  especially  in  connection 
with  the  analysis  of  a  commodity  to  determine  the  talking 
points  to  be  used  in  the  advertising.  The  table  as  given  is  in 
a  generalized  form,  and  applies  to  all  commodities  in  general, 
or,  more  correctly,  to  such  commodities  as  might  actually 
be  described  by  any  or  all  of  the  points  or  qualities  mentioned 
in  the  table. 

Obviously  there  is  as  a  matter  of  fact  no  such  ideal  or  uni- 
versal commodity.  Thus  durability,  time  saved,  and  beauti- 
fving  properties  could  hardly  be  applied  as  descriptive  points 
in  favor  of  food  products;  nor  do  appetizing  and  medicinal 


HUMAN   NEEDS   AND   THEIR   SATISFACTION  69 

value  seem  quite  appropriate  as  selling  points  for  clothing  or 
hardware.  What  the  table  really  means  is  this:  in  so  far  as 
healthfulness  can  be  reasonably  applied  as  a  descriptive  term 
to  any  commodity,  in  just  so  far  is  healthfulness  the  most 
persuasive  quality  possessed  by  that  commodity.  If  health- 
fulness  or  cleanliness  do  not  apply  in  an  intelligible  or  relevant 
way  to  the  commodity  in  question,  then  the  next  quality  in  the 
table  that  can  relevantly  apply  is  the  strongest  selling  point 
for  that  commodity. 

Given  the  commodity  to  be  advertised,  then,  the  first  thing 
to  do  is  to  determine  what  needs  the  commodity  can  satisfy, 
to  what  instincts  it  can  relevantly  be  made  to  appeal — in  other 
words,  the  commodity  must  be  analyzed  into  its  qualities. 
The  list  of  relevant  qualities  may  then  be  compared  with  the 
table  of  persuasiveness,  and  the  relative  order  of  the  various 
selling  points  for  the  commodity  in  question  thus  determined. 
There  will  thus  be  a  separate  table  for  each  commodity,  or  at 
least  various  tables,  which  vary  somewhat  from  commodity 
to  commodity. 

Thus,  if  the  commodity  to  be  distributed  is  nails,  the  first 
quality  in  the  table  that  is  relevant  is  perhaps  "Scientific  Con- 
struction." Then  follow,  in  order  of  value,  Safety,  Durabil- 
ity, Quality,  Reputation  of  the  Firm,  Guarantee,  Economy,  and 
Recommendation  by  Others.  Drawing  up  a  special  table  for 
the  commodity  nails  we  thus  derive  the  following: 

PULLING  POWER  OF  NAIL  ADVERTISEMENTS 

Relative 
Selling  Point  Value 

Scientific    Construction    88 

Efficiency  or  Safety    80 

Durability    72 

Quality   72 

Reputation  of  the   Firm 58 


70  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF   ADVERTISING 


Relative 
Selling  Point  Value 

Guarantee 58 

Economy,  Bargain,  etc 48 

Civic  Pride   18 

Recommendation  by  Others 14 

If  not  nails  but  some  such  commodity  as  breakfast  foods 
is  being  advertised,  then  we  would  derive  some  such  table  as 
the  following,  covering  such  qualities  as  Healthfulness,  Clean- 
liness and  Purity,  Appetizing  Qualities,  etc.  It  has  been  clearly 
proved  that  the  points  would  really  have  the  relative  values 
indicated  in  the  table,  when  employed  in  advertisements. 

PULLING  POWER  OF  BREAKFAST  FOOD  ADVERTISEMENTS 

Relative 
Selling  Point  Value 

Healthfulness    92 

Cleanliness  and  Purity  92 

Appetizing  Qualities  82 

Appeal  to  Mother  Love 70 

Reputation  and  Guarantee 58 

Medicinal   Properties    50 

Economy  and  Cheapness  48 

Mere  Assertion  of  Value 42 

Hospitality  and  Sport  Uses 42 

Appeal  to  Civic  Pride 18 

Used  by  Social  Superiors 12 

Imported    , IO 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE  CHIEF  CLASSES  OF  ADVERTISEMENTS 

Functions  of  an  Advertisement.— The  work  which  any  in- 
dividual advertisement  is  expected  to  do  depends  upon  the 
campaign  in  which  it  is  employed.  In  general,  every  adver- 
tisement attempts  to  perform  a  part  or  all  of  the  functions 
of  a  complete  sales  appeal. 

These  are  usually  described  as: 

1 .  Attention 

2 .  Interest 

3 .  Desire 

4 .  Conviction 

5 .  Action 

Before  a  man  will  buy  anything,  he  must  be  attracted  to 
it,  his  interest  and  desire  for  it  must  be  aroused,  he  must  be 
convinced  that  the  purchase  is  expedient,  and  he  must  be  stim- 
ulated to  act  in  the  direction  of  getting  it. 

A  complete  mail-order  advertisement  which  tries  to  secure 
orders  direct  might  be  said  to  have  all  these  functions.  Even 
here,  however,  the  task  of  the  advertisement  is  slightly  more 
complex  than  this,  because  of  the  peculiar  conditions  under 
which  the  appeal  is  made,  and  the  medium  through  which  the 
message  is  delivered.  It  is  not  spoken  but  printed;  its  sym- 
bols reach  the  mind  through  the  eye,  not  the  ear.  The  actual 
goods  to  be  sold  are  not  present  and  the  pleasure  or  other 
service  they  may  give  can  only  be  imagined  from  such  pictures 
as  the  artist  and  copywriter  create. 

An  advertisement,  moreover,  comes  into  direct  competition 
with  other  appeals  to  the  eye,  either  advertisements,  reading 

7i 


72  THE    PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

matter,  scenery,  or  other  objects.  Often  these  competing  ap- 
peals have  the  advantage  of  the  prior  interest  of  those  upon 
whom  the  advertisement  is  intended  to  have  its  effect.  For 
these  reasons,  advertisements  vary  considerably  in  their  func- 
tions. For  convenience  they  may  be  divided  into  three  main 
groups. 

The  Complete  Advertisement. — The  functions  of  a  complete 
advertisement  correspond  closely  to  those  of  a  complete  sales 
appeal  as  described  above,  though  the  advertisement  may  not 
be  intended  to  do  the  whole  work  of  selling.  In  fact  it  may 
be  only  one  of  a  succession  of  similar  appeals,  reinforced  by 
advertising  appeals  of  other. kinds  and  by  the  sales  efforts 
of  personal  representatives,  agents,  dealers,  and  other  mar- 
keting forces.  The  complete  advertisement,  however,  stands 
alone.  It  is  not  dependent  on  other  sales  appeals. 

From  a  psychological  view-point  its  functions  are  as  fol- 
lows: 

1 .  To  attract  initial  attention. 

2 .  To  hold  attention  in  an  interesting  way. 

3.  To  bring  about  an  association  or  impression  which 

will  have  permanence  or  memory  value. 

4.  To  convince,  persuade,  or  induce. 

5.  To  suggest  and  lead  to  specific  response. 

The  psychological  principles  applied  in  performing  these 
functions  are  so  important  and  extensive  that  they  will  be  left 
for  separate  consideration  in  the  following  chapters.  It  should 
be  noted  here  that  the  functions  are  not  of  equal  importance, 
either  in  general,  or  in  any  particular  case.  The  problem  of 
securing  initial  attention,  for  instance,  may  be  paramount,  es- 
pecially in  the  early  stages  of  a  campaign  for  a  new  advertiser 
or  product.  In  such  a  case,  the  complete  advertisement  would 
lay  most  stress  on  this  function,  or  another  kind  of  advertise- 
ment would  be  employed. 


\¥ 


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It  takes  six  minutes  to  drive  these  six 
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advertisement  is  for  those  who  want  high  grade 
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prices,  who  love  beau- 
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who    appreciate  choice 
designs,   know  solid 
worth,  and  approve  of 
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Complete  sales  appeal 
73 


74  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF   ADVERTISING 

The  Publicity  Advertisement. — T  h  e  publicity  advertise- 
ment frankly  ignores  a  part  of  the  work  of  the  sales  appeal. 
It  does  not  even  attempt  all  that  the  complete  advertisement 
does.  It  is  dependent  for  its  value  upon  what  has  previously 
been  done  by  other  forms  of  advertising  or  sales  effort  or 
what  is  to  be  done  in  the  future. 

Some  publicity  advertisements,  called  "teasers,"  try  to 
attract  initial  attention  and  fix  an  impression.  This  may  not 
even  include  any  identification  of  the  advertiser  or  product, 
so  that  response  is  practically  impossible.  The  purpose  is  to 
induce  greater  receptiveness  to  later  appeals  that  are  more 
nearly  complete. 

Closely  similar  in  general  appearance,  but  quite  different 
in  purpose  as  related  to  the  entire  campaign,  is  the  class  of 
publicity  advertisements  known  as  "reminders."  These  take 
for  granted  a  previous  association  with  the  goods  (either 
through  experience  or  through  previous  appeals)  and  seek 
only  to  direct  the  response. 

Advertisements  on  bill-boards  and  car-cards  are  likely  to 
be  of  this  class,  since  they  largely  supplement  newspaper  and 
magazine  advertisements,  and  are  close  to  the  source  of  buy- 
ing. Another  factor  which  tends  to  suggest  publicity  adver- 
tisements as  suitable  for  outdoor  signs  is  that  they  are  viewed 
by  the  average  passer-by  for  so  short  a  time  that  a  complete 
advertisement  is  often  impracticable. 

The  publicity  advertisement  is  by  no  means  confined  to 
bill-boards,  signs,  car-cards,  and  the  like.  It  is  found  in  almost 
every  kind  of  medium  and  is  often  justified  by  the  modern 
tendency  toward  specialization  and  division  of  labor  which 
applies  as  much  to  large-scale  advertising  as  to  large-scale 
marketing  effort  of  any  other  kind. 

The  Classified  Advertisement. —  "Want  ads,"  as  classified 
advertisements  are  commonly  called,  are  quite  different  in  kind 


CHIEF   CLASSES   OF  ADVERTISEMENTS  75 

from  publicity  advertisements,  although  their  purpose  is  not 
unlike  that  of  the  reminder  type  of  publicity.  They  are  con- 
structed with  little  or  no  reference  to  the  tasks  of  getting 
attention  or  of  fixing  an  impression.  Indeed,  their  very  nature 
and  the  restrictions  usually  imposed  by  the  publication  are 
such  as  to  make  them  lack  attention  value. 

The  classified  advertisement  takes  for  granted  the  initial 
attention  and  interest  of  the  reader ;  it  merely  seeks  to  direct 
his  response.  Sometimes  this  involves  convincing,  persuad- 
ing, or  inducing,  as  by  the  familiar  "Liberal  reward,  no  ques- 
tions asked/'  in  the  Lost  column.  It  is  also  worth  noting  that 
the  classified  advertisement  is  usually  less  interested  in  secur- 
ing much  attention  and  many  responses,  than  it  is  in  directing 
the  response  of  the  one  or  two  right  persons. 

Another  classification  of  advertisements  may  be  made  ac- 
cording to  the  type  of  appeal  used,  that  is,  the  methods  or 
mechanisms  they  employ  in  performing  their  functions.  The 
following  are  the  most  important. 

1.  Reflex  Appeals.— Such  are  the  electric  signs  that  are 
to  be  seen  on  the  "Great  White  Way"  in  New  York,  or 
its  counterpart  in  any  large  city.     They  make  use  of  bright 
flashing  lights,  often  in  motion,  sometimes  representing  char- 
acters in  action.     Other  kinds  of  moving  objects  and  auto- 
matons are  used  in  store  windows.     No  attempt  to  sell  goods 
is  made ;  often  there  is  not  even  a  mental  association  caused. 
The  usual  purpose  is  to  lure  the  eye  of  the  passer-by  momen- 
tarily, and  possibly  turn  him  toward  some  other  form  of  ad- 
vertising appeal  which  accompanies  the  reflex  appeal. 

2.  Short-Circuit  Appeals. — In  all  general  media  the  great 
majority  of  advertisements  for  foods,  personal  articles,  and 
other  things  purchased  regularly  and   frequently  are  short- 
circuit  appeals.   They  are  definite  and  concentrated  appeals  to 


Making  "Dreams" 

Come  True 

Depends  largely  upon  clear  thinking. 

Coffee  is  one  of  the  most  subtle  of  all  enemies  of  a  clear 
mind.     Not  for  everyone — but  for  many. 

If  you  value   comfort  and   the   power  to  "do  things," 
suppose  you  change  from  coffee  to  well-made 

POSTUM 

" There's  a  Reason" 


Postum  Cereal  Company,  Limited,  Battle  Creek,  Michigan,  U.  S.  A. 

Canadian  Portum  Cereal  Co..  Lid..  Winder.  OnL 

"Human-nature"  advertisement 
76 


CHIEF   CLASSES    OF   ADVERTISEMENTS  77 

one  or  more  specific  instincts,  feelings,  emotions,  or  ideals 
of  the  reader.  Argument  and  deliberation  are  avoided;  the 
attempt  is  to  influence  by  simple  suggestion.  This  suggestion 
may  be  conveyed  through  reading  matter,  pictures,  or  even 
color,  type,  and  arrangement. 

The  following  classification  indicates  some  of  the  articles 
for  which  short-circuit  appeals  are  suitable. 

1 .  Articles  for  personal  use,  especially  for  adornment  or 

the  improvement  of  one's  appearance,  such  as  toilet 
articles,  jewelry,  clothing  accessories,  etc. 

2.  Articles  for  family  use  that  contribute  to  the  enjoy- 

ment of  life,  such  as  musical  instruments,  toys,  and 
the  like. 

3.  Articles   that   contribute  to  the   personal   safety   or 

longer  life  of  the  individual  or  members  of  his  fam- 
ily, such  as  insurance,  safety  devices,  revolvers,  etc. 

4.  Most  foods  and  drinks  and  smoking  materials,  espe- 

cially those  bought  for  enjoyment  rather  than  for 
nourishment,  such  as  candy,  be?r,  ginger  ale,  grape 
juice,  tobacco  and  cigarettes. 

5 .  Articles  bought  frequently  as  gifts,  such  as  silverware, 

books,  and  flowers. 

3.  Long-Circuit  Appeals. — In  advertising  tools  and  other 
utilities,  articles  that  are  impersonal,  and  articles  that  are 
bought  only  at  long  intervals,  reason- why  copy  is  frequently 
used.  These  long-circuit  appeals  contain  argument  or  per- 
suasion, they  often  invite  comparisons  with  competing  articles, 
and  they  usually  lead  to  a  weighing  or  balancing  of  sales 
points  and  advantages.  They  are  ordinarily  in  the  form  of 
reading  matter,  though  other  devices  may  be  employed.  These 
devices  are  most  commonly  for  the  sake  of  reinforcing  or  illus- 
trating-the  argument  in  words. 


There,  Gentlemen,  is 

-REAL  TIRE  PROTECTION! 


HAVE  Solved  the  Problem  of  Perfect  Tire  Protection      My  "  Brict<;on  "  Guaranteed  Detach- 
able Tread  Has  Stood  the  Severest  Tests  in  Actual  Use  by  Thousand?  of  Automobile  Owners 
Under  All  Sorts  of  Eoad  Conditions.     I  I\now  This  to  Be  a  Fact.  Because.  (1)  I  Make'  tbo 
Brictson"  Tread  in  a  Manner  That  Leaves  No  Question  pf  Doubt  As  to  Its  Quality: 
(2)  Hundreds  of  Users  of  My  Tread  All  Over  the  Country  Have  Assured  Me  That  Tha 
Brictson"  Is  the  One  and  Only  REAL  Tire  Protector. 


TO  DEALERS 


Five   years  Ago.  When   I   perfected    My   Tread.   1 
Determined   to  Sell   It  Direct  to  Consumers.  So 
That   I    Could  Trace  Results   of  Each   Sale  and 
Know    for    Myself  Just  What   My  Goods  Were 
Doing.     The  Results  of  This  Direct  Selling  Policy  Have 
So  Thoroughly  Convinced  Me  of  the  Practical  Perfection 
of  the  "  Brictson"  Tread.  That  I  Am  Js'ow  Ready  to  Place 
"Brictson"  Agencies  With  Leading  Dealers  Throughout  the 
Country.     Applications  Will  Be  Considered  in  Order  of  Receipt. 
Live  Dealers.  Who  Want  to  Represent  the  Only  REAL  Tire   Pro- 
tector Backed  by  the  Greatest  Advertising  Campaign  Eyer  Undertaken  on 

a  Similar  Proposition.  Should  Get  Busy  and  Wire,  Write  or  Phone  for  Full  Particulars'  of  my  Briclson  Tread 
Proposition,  at  Once! 


"The  £T< 


f  Ti, 


Consider  the  following  description  of  how  this  Tread  Is  made: 
First.  I    use  an   outer   layer   of  specially  'tanned,   extra    pliable  Chrome 
Leather,  which  never  becomes  hard  or  brittle — never  cracks — even  when  con- 
tinuously exposed  on  the  tire  to  all  sorts  of  conditions — water,  snow,  sleet, 
dirt,  etc.     Next  to-the  outer  thickness  of  Chrome  Leather  are  flve  layers — didf 
you  get  that,  "flve  layers?" — of  the  very  best  quality  tire  fabric.     I  might 
use  only  three  or  four  layers,  and  I  might  use  a  poorer  quality  of  fabric,  but  my 
experience  has  proved  that  flve  layers  are  necessary  to  obtain  perfect /strength 
and  in  preventing  tbe  tread  from  slipping 

Next   to  these  flve  layers    of  tire 

note  this:  through  the  outer  layer  of 
, Chrome  Leather,  then  through  the  flve 
layers  of  tire  fabric  are  driven  the 
steel  studs  and  steel  rivets.  These  are 
clinched  into  the  layer  of  leather  which 
Immediately  follows  next  to  the  tire 
fabric,  and  then  there  is  yet  another 
layer  of  leather  which  covers  these 
clinched  ends  of  rivets  and  studs  and 
prevents  them  from  coming  in  contact 
with  the  rubber  tire.  Consider,  too. 
the  method  of  fastening  the  Brictson 
Guaranteed  Tread  to  the  tire.  The 
ends  of  the  outer  layer  of  Chrome 
Leather  are  skived  or  sliced  thin  where 
they  are  placed  between  the  Rubber  tire 
and  rim.  This  does  away  with  any  possibility  of  thick  ends  which  might  crumole 
up, -ana  makes  possible  a  snug  fit  of  the  Brictson  Tread  over  the  rubber  tire. 
The  Tread  is  slipped  In  place  over  the  deflated  tire  and  is  not  held  to 
the  tire  or  the  rim  by  an  artificial  fastener,  such  as  a  hook,  or  buckle,  a  wire 
clasp,  or  anything  of  the  sort.  Air  pressure  between  the  tire  and  rim  holds 
Tread  to  the  tire  after  it  is  inflated.  It  is  such  construction  as  this  that  cuts 
your  tire  expense  to  a  minimum. 

Ask  Your  Dealer  for  Brichon  Detachable  Tire  Treads 

Ask  the  Beit  Dealer  in  Your  Town  to  Shoul  You  the  Famou*  Brlctton 
Guaranteed  Detachable  Tread.     If,  for  Any  Rea*on,  He  Cannot  Supply 
You.  Write  Me  Direct,  Giving  Dealer' t  Name,  and  Site  of  Tire,  and  1       4 
Will  Send  You  FREE,  ' '  The  Enemy  of  TirfEjfUenie. ' '  Mail  Coupon  !      + 


Cross  Section  of  Brictson  Tread 


Cct  Out 
and  Mail  This 
Coupon  Todajr 

0.  A.  Briction.  Pret't 
1921  BrictioD  Building, 

Brookintt.  S.  D. 
Please  send  me  your  FREE 
IHnswaicd    -Book,    Proofs   from 
AUtomobilt  Owners.  Prices,  etc. 


O.  A.  BRICTSON,  President 

BrieUon  M'fg  Co.,  1921   Brictson  Building.  Brooking.  S.  O. 


r     Address. 


Long-circuit  advertisement 
78 


CHIEF   CLASSES   OF  ADVERTISEMENTS  79 

The  following  classification  of  articles  indicates  those  to 
which  the  long-circuit  appeal  is  generally  appropriate: 

1 .  Articles  for  business,  agricultural  or  industrial  pur- 

poses,  such  as  machinery,  office  appliances,  agri- 
cultural implements,  tools,  etc. 

2.  Articles  for  building  purposes,  such  as  roofing,  wall- 

board,  lumber,  etc. 

3.  Articles  that  are  bought  not  for  their  own  sake  but 

as  accessories,  such  as  automobile  tires,  lubricants, 
rubber  boots  and  shoes,  etc. 

4.  Articles  in  fields  where  competition  is  keen,  such  as 

automobiles,  safety  razors,  dentifrices,  etc. 

5.  Articles   bought    for   investment    purposes,    such   aj> 

stocks  and  bonds,  real  estate,  advertising  space,  etc. 

There  are  many  other  cases  in  which  reason-why  copy 
may  be  demanded  by  market  conditions  or  by  the  particular 
class  of  buyers  to  be  reached. 

4.  Rationalization  Appeals. — The  fourth  type  of  appeal 
has  become  increasingly  common  of  late  years,  and  has  special 
interest  because  of  the  important  psychological  principle  in- 
volved. One  of  the  normal  tendencies  of  human  beings  is  to 
act,  judge,  believe,  or  vote  on  instinctive,  emotional  grounds, 
and  then  after  the  act  is  committed,  to  try  to  justify  or  defend 
it  by  intellectual  or  logical  reasons.  A  man  may  buy  an  auto- 
mobile because  his  neighbor  has  one,  because  it  is  the  fashion, 
because  it  will  gratify  his  vanity,  or  because  of  some  other 
emotion.  But  having  bought  it,  he  may  seek  to  justify  the 
purchase  by  such  logical  reasons  as,  "It  saves  time,"  "It  enter- 
tains the  family,"  "It  is  a  business  asset,"  and  the  like. 

Advertising  men  have  begun  to  understand  this  human 
tendency  and  now  take  advantage  of  it  in  constructing  adver- 
tisements for  many  products,  the  primary  appeals  of  which 


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Rationalization  appeal 
80 


CHIEF   CLASSES    OF   ADVERTISEMENTS  gl 

are  to  the  senses,  instincts,  or  emotions.  Some  of  them  begin 
with  a  distinctly  emotional  short-circuit  appeal  and  at  a  later 
point  introduce  a  set  of  logical  reasons  for  the  purchase. 
These  may  actually  have  little  influence  on  the  purchaser's  de- 
cision but  they  fortify  him  against  the  objections  of  his 
mother-in-law,  his  employer,  his  banker,  and  his  conscience. 
Some  rationalizing  advertisements,  indeed,  contain  nothing 
but  logical  reasoning  in  the  copy;  the  emotional  or  short-cir- 
cuit appeal  is  cared  for  by  the  accompanying  illustrations  or 
other  display  elements. 

We  may  have  an  appetite  for  dates,  walnuts,  or  fruit-juice 
drinks,  but  hesitate  to  gratify  it  because  of  the  feeling  that 
they  are  luxuries.  When  we  see  an  advertisement  that  points 
out  the  high  nutritive  value  or  tonic  properties  of  these  ar- 
ticles, the  obstacle  to  their  purchase  may  be  removed  from 
our  minds.  The  rationalization  appeal  is  particularly  useful 
in  the  case  of  commodities  which,  although  they  have  a  strong 
personal  appeal,  encounter  social  or  moral  resistance.  Thus, 
a  few  years  ago  beer  was  advertised  on  the  ground  of  its 
nutritive  and  tonic  qualities.  Certain  cosmetics  have  also  been 
presented  as  assets  to  business  as  well  as  social  success. 

There  are  cases  in  which  the  purchaser  is  not  likely  to 
wish  to  see  the  real  motives  for  purchase  emphasized.  Such 
a  case  is  shown  in  the  Brunswick  advertisement  on  page  80. 
The  actual  sale  is  made  through  the  appeal  to  the  parental 
instinct,  the  desire  to  keep  father  and  boys  at  home  and  away 
from  undesirable  companionship.  However,  the  mother  does 
not  want  her  motive  too  strongly  insisted  upon,  and  the  latter 
part  of  the  advertisement  suitably  rationalizes  the  purchase. 


CHAPTER  X 
SECURING  AND  HOLDING  ATTENTION 

Attention  Incentives. —  The  first  duty  of  an  advertisement 
is  to  be  seen.  Unless  it  can  get  attention,  its  other  qualities 
count  for  nothing.  Hence  the  study  of  attention  devices  is  of 
vital  importance.  A  complete  discussion  of  these  devices  can- 
not be  given  here,  but  the  more  important  are  listed  with  some 
explanation  of  their  relative  merits  and  their  uses. 

Size. — Other  things  being  equal,  the  larger  the  space  used, 
the  greater  the  attention  value  of  an  advertisement.  But  the 
increase  in  value  is  not  proportionate  to  the  increase  in  size 
(and  cost).  The  law  of  diminishing  returns  operates,  where- 
by the  attention  value  increases  more  slowly  proportionately 
than  the  amount  of  space.  This  increase  in  value  is  approxi- 
mately the  increase  of  the  square  root  of  the  space.  Thus  a 
half-page  is  not  four  times  as  valuable  as  an  eighth  page;  it 
is  only  twice  as  valuable. 

This  fact  was  first  discovered  in  connection  with  the  num- 
ber of  inquiries  received  from  an  advertisement.  When  a 
quarter-page  produced  100  inquiries,  the  advertiser  decided  to 
use  the  same  copy  in  a  full  page,  expecting  to  get  400  inquiries. 
To  his  surprise  he  secured  only  about  200.  Numerous  ex- 
perimental tests  of  other  kinds  together  with  practical  experi- 
ence have  demonstrated  conclusively  that  the  square  root  law 
holds  good  with  respect  to  attention  value  as  well  as  to  number 
of  inquiries. 

From  this  law  it  follows  that  the  most  favorable  amount 
of  space  for  a  given  proposition  depends  partly  on  the  amount 
of  profit  made  from  each  customer  or  buying  unit.  In  general. 

82 


SECURING   AND   HOLDING   ATTENTION  83 

the  smaller  the  profit,  the  smaller  the  most  favorable  amount  of 
space.  There  are  many  cases  which  justify  the  use  of  full 
pages,  or  double  page  "spreads"  even,  because  the  cost  of  the 
space  is  small  in  comparison  to  the  profit  from  sales — either 
the  individual  sale,  or  the  aggregate  purchase  that  will  be  made 
by  the  customer.  Moreover,  the  competitive  situation  often  in- 
fluences the  advertiser  to  use  of  more  space  than  he  would 
otherwise  require,  although  this  should  never  be  the  sole  factor 
considered.  Often  attention  value  can  be  secured  in  better 
ways  than  by  mere  size. 

Position  in  Medium. —  The  term  "preferred  position" 
usually  refers  to  newspapers  and  magazines.  There  are  pre- 
ferred positions  in  other  kinds  of  advertising  media,  of  course. 
For  example,  the  bill-boards  facing  curves  of  highways  (or 
"head  on")  are  more  valuable  than  others.  The  relative  values 
of  different  positions  in  a  magazine,  however,  have  been  more 
exactly  and  scientifically  determined. 

The  general  law  that  the  beginning  and  ending  of  anything 
has  maximum  attention  value  applies  here.  The  covers,  inside 
and  outside,  and  the  pages  next  to  these,  are  the  most  valuable 
in  the  publication.  In  the  old-style  standard  magazines,  with 
solid  sections  of  advertising,  the  front  section  has  about  25 
per  cent  stronger  attention  value  than  the  back  section.  This 
is  partly  because  the  section  is  smaller  and  partly  because  the 
average  reader  thumbs  through  the  front  section  to  reach  the 
beginning  of  the  reading  pages.  The  pages  next  to  reading 
matter  at  front  and  back  have  far  greater  attention  value  than 
the  run  of  the  pages — sometimes  100  per  cent  greater  in  the 
case  of  a  bulky  advertising  section. 

These  principles  apply  in  some  degree  to  flat  publications 
(like  the  Saturday  Evening  Post)  in  which  the  advertisements 
are  distributed  through  the  reading  matter.  The  covers  and 
the  pages  next  to  covers  have  superior  value,  but  the  others 


84 


THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 


tend  toward  equalization,  due  to  the  presence  of  reading  mat- 
ter next  to  practically  all  the  advertisements.  The  partial 
removal  of  the  obnoxious  question  of  preferred  positions  is 
largely  responsible  for  the  pronounced  preference  for  the  flat 
publication  which  has  become  evident  in  the  past  ten  years  and 
has  influenced  many  publishers  of  standard  size  magazines  to 
change  their  size  and  form.  It  is  supposed  also,  though  it  has 
not  been  proved,  that  the  distribution  of  the  advertisements 
through  the  reading  matter  raises  the  average  attention  value 
of  a  page.  It  has  been  shown,  however,  that  the  added  atten- 
tion value  of  the  poorer  pages  comes  only  when  the  advertise- 
ment is  placed  next  to  reading  matter  that  is  actually  read. 


19% 


$0% 


23% 


28% 


33% 


16% 


53% 


44% 


$6% 


Preferred  positions  on  the  page 


SECURING   AND   HOLDING   ATTENTION  85 

Position  on  Page. —  On  the  individual  page,  the  attention 
value  of  different  positions  varies  considerably.  Their  rela- 
tive value  is  shown  in  percentage  form  on  the  preceding 
diagrams,  which  are  for  right-hand  pages.  For  the  left-hand 
page  the  values  in  the  case  of  the  vertical  divisions  should 
be  transposed.  It  has  been  found  that  vertical  half-pages 
are  about  25  per  cent  more  effective  than  horizontal  half- 
pages. 

The  principle  that  the  outside  positions  are  better  than 
the  inside  holds  good  even  in  the  case  of  a  flat  publication 
page  divided  into  four  columns  with  the  reading  matter  in  the 
second  column  from  the  inside.  This  practice  shifts  attention 
somewhat  from  the  outside  to  the  inside  column,  but  in  spite 
of  this,  tests  show  that  the  outside  columns  have  about  12  per 
cent  greater  attention  value  than  the  innermost  column. 

White  Space. —  The  attention  value  of  an  advertisement 
can  be  increased  by  surrounding  it  with  a  margin  of  white 
space.  This  tends  to  isolate  it  from  competing  attractions, 
either  of  other  advertisements  or  of  reading  matter.  The 
greater  the  amount  of  white  margin,  of  course,  the  greater  the 
attention  value.  Beyond  a  certain  point,  however,  this  method 
becomes  wasteful.  Generally  speaking,  white  margin  that  is 
one-tenth  as  wide  as  the  space  occupied  by  the  copy  itself  is 
most  favorable  and  economical.  On  dull  newspaper  stock  a 
slightly  greater  amount  is  required. 

Contrast. —  Somewhat  similar  to  the  use  of  white  space  for 
attention  is  the  use  of  contrast.  Where  all  the  advertisements 
are  of  one  general  style — for  example,  black  type  on  a  white 
background — the  use  of  a  totally  different  style — for  example, 
the  "reversed  cut"  with  white  letters  on  a  black  background — 
may  secure  greater  attention.  Changes  of  form,  of  style  of 
type,  etc.,  add  something  to  the  attention  value. 


86  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

Intensity. — The  use  of  intensely  black  letters,  or  vivid 
colors,  will  contribute  toward  increasing  the  attention  value. 
These  methods,  however,  as  well  as  those  that  come  under 
the  general  head  of  contrast,  are  frowned  upon  by  the  major- 
ity of  publishers.  Many  of  them  have  stringent  restrictions 
upon  the  styles  and  sizes  of  type  allowed  in  their  advertising 
pages,  and  they  also  require  that  large  sized  type  be  toned 
down  from  a  full  intense  black  by  "stippling"  to  a  gray.  This 
same  rule  applies  to  large  areas  of  black  in  illustration  or 
elsewhere.  The  rules  of  the  publishers  are  due  partly  to  a 
desire  to  equalize  the  mechanical  devices  used  for  attention, 
thus  giving  all  advertisers  equal  chance  to  deliver  their  mes- 
sages, and  partly  to  aesthetic  and  practical  considerations  of 
protecting  the  appearance  of  the  publication  as  a  whole.  It 
is  easy  to  imagine  the  result  if  unrestrained  competition  were 
allowed  in  the  use  of  intense  colors,  striking  contrasts,  and 
bold  black  type.  In  point  of  fact  their  interests  and  those  of 
the  advertisers  are  in  harmony.  All  mechanical  devices  to 
secure  attention  possess  only  a  temporary  value.  They  do  not 
hold  the  attention  they  secure. 

Interest  Incentives. — The  second  duty  of  an  advertise- 
ment is  to  be  read.  This  does  not  mean  necessarily  a  word- 
for-word  reading  of  the  entire  text  matter.  It  does  mean  long 
enough  and  close  enough  attention  to  grasp  the  salient  features 
and  thus  receive  the  essential  message,  whether  this  message 
is  conveyed  in  words,  in  pictures,  or  in  other  symbols.  Hence 
we  must  study  the  devices  that  not  only  gain  initial  attention 
but  also  hold  attention  and  tend  toward  permanent  impres- 
sions. 

The  mechanical  devices  that  have  just  been  described  do 
not  accomplish  this.  They  secure  the  eye,  but  not  always  the 
mind.  Such  impressions  as  they  do  make  rarely  have  any 
close  connection  with  the  message  regarding  the  commodity. 


SECURING   AND    HOLDING   ATTENTION  87 

The  more  effective  devices  are  those  which  are  known  as  in- 
terest incentives. 

Novelty. — The  universal  instinct  of  curiosity  prompts  us 
to  give  attention  to  anything  new  or  novel.  One  of  the  first 
objects  the  advertising  man  seeks  is  to  create  an  advertisement 
which  shall  be  novel  and  distinctive  in  character.  This  novelty 
may  be  in  the  illustration,  the  arrangement,  or  the  copy  itself. 
There  is  one  danger  to  be  guarded  against — namely,  that  of 
attracting  attention  to  the  device  as  such,  rather  than  to  the 
commodity,  argument,  or  selling  point.  Conspicuous  clever- 
ness in  an  advertisement  is  likely  to  be  harmful  to  its  suc- 
cess. 

Pictures  and  Illustrations. — Pictures  and  illustrations  of 
all  kinds,  including  maps,  blue-prints,  diagrams,  and  charts, 
are  effective  devices  for  securing  and  holding  attention.  They 
are  strongest  when  they  show  people  engaged  in  doing  some- 
thing, and  when  this  action  is  relevant  to  the  article  adver- 
tised. 

In  representing  action,  the  "law  of  the  resting  point" 
should  be  carefully  observed.  According  to  this  law,  to  repre- 
sent vigorous  activity  on  the  part  of  a  moving  object,  as  an 
arm  or  leg,  the  object  should  be  represented  at  an  actual  point 
of  rest,  just  before  or  just  after  the  real  movement.  Thus 
the  sprinter  should  be  shown  when  his  legs  are  stretched  to 
the  full  extent  of  his  stride. 

Color. —  Color  is  one  of  the  strongest  factors  in  securing 
attention  and  is  becoming  more  widely  used  in  advertising  all 
the  time.  Lately  it  has  penetrated  the  advertising  sections  of 
the  most  dignified  standard  magazines.  Its  value  is  not  due 
to  its  attention-getting  power  alone ;  it  has  other  purposes  and 
uses. 

Among  these  are  the  following: 


88  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

1 .  To  serve  as  a  background  for  the  more  effective  dis- 

play of  other  material. 

2 .  To  represent  more  accurately  the  appearance,  texture, 

etc.,  of  the  article. 

3 .  To  symbolize  and  express  the  qualities  of  the  article. 

4.  To  secure  or  promote  harmony,  atmosphere,  etc. 

5.  To  aid  in  identifying  packages,  brands,  trade-marks, 

etc. 

6.  To  give  the  effects  of  distance  and  perspective,  and 

thus  increase  the  likeness  to  nature. 

Colors,  both  singly  and  in  combination,  have  considerable 
differences  in  attention  value.  Because  of  their  other  qualities, 
however,  colors  should  not  be  selected  and  used  purely  on  the 
basis  of  their  attention  value,  either  for  people  in  general  or 
for  a  single  class.  It  is  necessary  to  consider  also  their  phy- 
sical and  psychological  effects,  their  symbolic  meaning,  and 
the  principles  governing  their  effective  combination.  These 
factors  are  given  detailed  consideration  in  Chapter  XXIII, 
"Color." 

Arrangement. —  Proper  arrangement  of  the  materials 
which  compose  the  advertisement  is  an  important  factor  in 
securing  and  holding  attention.  Shape,  borders,  lines,  perspec- 
tive, direction,  and  similar  structural  elements,  all  need  con- 
sideration to  secure  a  combination  which  shall  satisfy  the  eye 
and  yet  offer  it  a  pleasing  field  of  exploration.  The  material 
should  be  complex  enough  to  invite  several  fixations  of  atten- 
tion and  yet  so  unified  and  balanced  as  to  constitute  a  single 
field  of  interest. 

The  subject  of  arrangement  is  more  fully  explained  from 
the  view-point  of  artistic  effect  in  later  chapters.  It  is  there- 
fore sufficient  to  present  here  only  a  few  of  the  more  impor- 
tant general  psychological  laws  to  be  observed. 


SECURING   AND   HOLDING   ATTENTION  89 

First,  it  should  be  noted  that  five  or  six  separate  elements 
are  as  many  as  can  be  taken  in  at  a  single  glance.  Five  or  six 
words  constitute  the  limit  for  an  effective  headline ;  five  or  six 
groups  of  material  are  about  all  that  should  be  put  into  one 
advertisement. 

Second,  it  should  be  noted  that  lines,  gaze  and  movement 
etc.,  should  direct  the  eye  inside  of  the  advertisement  rather 
than  away  from  it.  There  should  also  be  some  boundary  of 
line,  form,  or  white  space  to  keep  the  eye  within  the  advertise- 
ment. 

Third,  the  form  in  which  the  advertisement  as  a  whole  and 
its  several  component  parts  are  set,  should  be  pleasing  in  shape 
and  proportion.  The  most  pleasing  form  to  the  majority  of 
people  is  the  so-called  "golden  section,"  a  rectangle  with  sides 
in  the  ratio  of  3  to  5. 


CHAPTER  XI 

ESTABLISHING  ASSOCIATIONS 

Importance  of  Association. —  The  third  and  most  impor- 
tant duty  of  the  advertisement  is  to  establish  in  the  reader's 
mind  an  association  between  his  needs  and  the  commodity  in 
question.  All  the  work  of  attracting  and  holding  his  attention 
is  preparatory  to  this,  and  unless  this  duty  is  performed  the 
cost  of  the  advertising  has  been  largely,  if  not  entirely,  wasted. 

Too  often  it  is  assumed  that  the  constant  repetition  of  the 
advertiser's  name  and  trade-mark  will  be  sufficient  to  stamp 
in  an  impression  that  will  ultimately  result  in  a  sale.  This 
theory  is  psychologically  wrong.  It  is  not  enough  that  people 
shall  be  familiar  with  the  name  of  a  brand.  Familiarity  may 
breed  contempt.  What  is  even  more  necessary  is  that  an  asso- 
ciation or  connection  be  established  such  that,  given  a  moment 
of  need,  the  name  of  the  brand  shall  come  to  the  mind  rather 
than  the  name  of  some  other  brand.  Not  the  mere  driving  in 
of  one  idea,  but  the  connecting  of  two  ideas,  is  the  task  of 
advertising. 

What  the  two  ideas  shall  be  is  a  question  to  be  answered 
only  after  the  study  of  human  needs  and  the  analysis  of  the 
commodity  have  been  made  as  suggested  in  a  previous  chap- 
ter. Oftentimes  there  are  many  "points  of  contact"  with  the 
prospective  purchaser  and  many  "selling  points"  in  the  article 
from  which  a  selection  may  be  made.  Some  advertisers  draw 
up  a  complete  schedule  of  such  points  and  plan  the  campaign 
in  such  a  manner  that  all  may  be  used  at  one  time  or  another. 
The  process  of  establishing  the  association,  however,  is  one 
that  requires  familiarity  with  certain  well-established  psycho- 
logical laws ;  the  most  important  will  be  explained  here. 

90 


ESTABLISHING   ASSOCIATIONS  91 

The  Law  of  Contiguity. — When  two  things  are  constantly 
presented  together,  a  mental  association  between  them  is  gen- 
erally established.  Often  they  become  as  inseparably  con- 
nected as  Damon  and  Pythias.  The  repetition  of  the  word 
"Yuban,"  "Yuban,"  "Yuban,"  would  not  lead  me  to  think  of 
"Yuban"  when  I  go  to  purchase  coffee,  unless  along  with  the 
word  "Yuban"  the  idea  of  "Coffee"  has  constantly  been  pres- 
ented. With  the  name  of  the  commodity  the  advertisement 
should  always  present  the  idea  of  the  need  the  commodity  is 
to  satisfy.  This  idea  may  not  be  in  words,  of  course ;  it  may 
equally  well  be  in  a  picture  or  even  in  other  symbols.  The 
illustration  of  the  breakfast  table  with  its  bubbling  percolator, 
or  the  after-dinner  group  with  their  demi-tasse  may  be  equally 
as  effective  as  the  word  "Coffee"  in  connection  with  the  name 
"Yuban." 

One  of  the  oldest  and  simplest  applications  of  this  law  is 
to  be  found  in  the  statement  "Children  Cry  for  Fletcher's 
Castoria."  More  elaborate  in  presentation,  but  essentially 
similar,  is  that  large  group  known  as  "predicament  advertise- 
ments" in  which  some  one  of  life's  little  problems  is  presented 
in  words  or  pictures  together  with  the  solution — which,  of 
course,  is  found  in  the  commodity  advertised.  Thus  "For  the 
Unexpected  Guest"  the  housewife  is  advised  to  adopt  the 
policy  of  preparedness,  that  she  may  be  able  to  bring  out  the 
can  of  soup  or  beans  or  kippered  herring,  or  any  one  of  a 
thousand  other  articles  that  thoughtful  advertisers  suggest  as 
suitable  for  unexpected  guests. 

The  Law  of  Sequence. — Strictly  speaking,  two  ideas  are 
never  present  at  precisely  the  same  moment,  so  that  con- 
tiguity really  means  rapid  sequence.  One  idea  being  given, 
the  other  follows  directly  in  its  wake.  The  succession  of 
words  or  other  symbols  sets  up  a  "train  of  ideas."  The  law 
of  sequence  tells  us  that  mental  associations  work  more  easily 


g2  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

in  one  direction  than  in  another.  "Forward  associations/' 
that  is,  associations  in  the  direction  in  which  the  ideas  were 
originally  presented,  are  stronger,  more  lively,  and  more 
liable  to  recur  than  backward  associations. 

This  is  especially  true  of  such  ideas  as  take  the  form  of 
spoken  words  and  other  sorts  of  acts  that  involve  motor  pro- 
cesses. A  child  that  has  learned  the  alphabet  can  repeat  it 
forwards  quickly  and  easily  but  cannot  repeat  it  backwards 
except  slowly  and  laboriously.  The  word  "Woodrow"  in- 
stantaneously calls  up  "Wilson,"  but  "Wilson"  does  not  so 
quickly  or  surely  lead  to  the  association  "Woodrow." 

In  advertising,  therefore,  ideas  should  be  presented  in  the 
order  which  they  will  later  be  desired  to  take.  And  as  the 
first  idea  in  the  mind  of  the  purchaser  will  be  his  need  rather 
than  the  commodity,  the  need  should  be  presented  first  in  the 
advertising.  This  law  applies  to  the  general  construction  of 
the  copy  and  to  the  brand-name,  trade-mark,  etc. 

The  following  names  observe  this  psychological  law: 
"Hotel  Astor,"  "Parfum  Mary  Garden,"  "Encyclopaedia 
Britannica,"  "Cafe  Boulevard."  Compare  with  these  the  fol- 
lowing, among  many  that  fail  to  take  advantage  of  this  law 
and  in  so  doing  sacrifice  real  association  and  memory  value: 
"Knickerbocker  Hotel,"  "Hudnut's  Perfume,"  "Universal 
Encyclopedia,"  "Childs'  Restaurant." 

It  may  not  always  be  easy  to  arrange  a  trade-name  that 
will  without  awkwardness  or  strain  observe  the  law  of 
sequence.  There  is  little  excuse,  however,  for  an  advertise- 
ment that  begins  with  the  name  of  the  manufacturer  or  brand, 
follows  with  a  description  of  its  qualities,  and  finally  comes 
to  an  explanation  of  the  need  it  will  serve.  The  accompany- 
ing illustration  will  show  the  difference  between  an  advertise- 
ment that  presents  the  ideas  in  the  sequence  in  which  they 
would  naturally  occur  in  the  reader's  mind,  and  one  that  dis- 
regards this  natural  order. 


ESTABLISHING   ASSOCIATIONS 


93 


A  Unique  Kind  of  Gift 
Family  Portraits  in 

The  Copley  Prints 
Curtis  and  Cameron 

Boston Mass. 


This  arrangement  is  correct, 
since  the  desired  mental  habit  is 
set  up  by  every  reading.  The 
need  (gift)  suggests  the  general 
commodity  (portrait) ;  this  in 
turn  leads  to  the  specific  brand 
(Copley)  and  the  firm  name  and 
address  follow  at  once.  This  is 
as  natural  a  process  as  saying 
the  alphabet  forwards. 


Curtis  and  Cameron 

The  Copley  Prints 

Family  Portraits 

Best  of  Gifts 
Boston Mass. 


This  arrangement  is  incorrect, 
since  no  one  of  the  desired  asso- 
ciations is  effected.  When  the 
need  of  gifts  is  felt  there  is  no 
inclination  to  turn  backwards  to 
Copley  Prints — nothing  conies 
to  mind  but  "Boston,  Mass." 
Knowing  the  alphabet  in  one 
direction  does  not  imply  the 
ability  to  repeat  it  backwards. 


The  Law  of  Feeling  Tone. — Associations  accompanied  by 
pleasantness  tend  to  be  reinforced  and  made  more  permanent. 
Associations  accompanied  by  disagreeableness  tend  to  be 
weakened  and  inhibited  and  to  disappear  more  quickly.  Thus, 
a  warning  of  the  evil  results  that  may  follow  the  use  of  a  sub- 
stitute commodity  is  likely  to  be  less  effective  than  a  statement 
of  the  good  results  that  accrue  from  securing  the  genuine 
article.  In  other  ways  also  the  positive  or  pleasant  suggestion 
is  more  effective  than  the  negative  or  unpleasant. 

The  use  of  advertising  novelties,  such  as  calendars,  pen- 


94  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

cils,  pocket-books,  etc.,  is  another  application  of  this  law. 
Here  the  advertiser  expects  the  customer  will  be  pleased  with 
the  gift  and  that  this  agreeable  feeling  will  reinforce  the  asso- 
ciation of  his  name  with  some  moment  of  need.  The  success 
of  the  method  depends  on  the  amount  of  agreeableness  actually 
produced  and  the  relevancy  of  the  article  to  the  need  in  ques- 
tion. 

The  Law  of  Fusion. —  We  do  not  always  analyze  our  feel- 
ings of  agreeableness  and  disagreeableness,  strain  and  relax- 
ation, comfort  and  distress,  so  as  to  attribute  them  solely  to 
their  actual  sources.  Whatever  the  source  of  discomfort,  it 
colors  all  we  do  or  think  at  the  moment.  A  toothache  makes 
everything  else  in  the  world  seem  wrong.  Things  ordinarily 
interesting  become  tiresome ;  things  otherwise  pleasant  become 
unpleasant;  things  only  mildly  annoying  become  a  source  of 
acute  misery.  Similarly,  when  we  read  an  advertisement,  the 
feeling  aroused  by  each  item  of  the  copy  and  the  arrangement 
tends  to  spread  over  the  whole  experience,  including  the  asso- 
ciation presented.  The  association  will  gain  or  lose  effective- 
ness because  of  the  way  it  is  dressed  out,  the  company  in 
which  it  is  found,  and  the  past  experience  which  it  revives. 

The  literary  and  artistic  aspects  of  copy  and  display  are 
therefore  extremely  important  for  strictly  psychological 
reasons.  These  factors  will  be  discussed  more  at  length  in  the 
chapters  dealing  with  the  practical  construction  of  an  adver- 
tisement. Here  it  is  sufficient  to  point  out  that  a  complicated, 
distracting  arrangement  of  type  matter,  and  an  incongruous 
or  inharmonious  selection  of  colors  or  even  an  inappropriate 
word  may  interfere  seriously  with  the  effectiveness  of  the 
association  it  is  desired  to  establish. 

Typography. — It  may  be  well  to  deal  here,  however,  with 
one  of  these  elements  that  is  of  special  importance.  A  feeling 


ESTABLISHING   ASSOCIATIONS 


95 


of  strain  is  always  a  seriously  disturbing  influence;  in  adver- 
tising this  comes  most  frequently  from  difficulty  in  reading 


PRICES  AND  TERMS 

(East  of  the  Rocky  Mountiint) 

I  The  Virluolo  in  Hallet  6-  Davis  Piano,  ma- 
hoganu.  C  olonial  d  sign.  $700.  The  Virtuolo 
innallet  &  Davis  Piano,  Arts-and-Crafts  case, 
5775.  In  Cnnway  /  iano,  mahogany  or  Walnut, 
$575.  Lexington  Player  Piano,  $4 50  to  $4 85. 
Terms :  Th.ree  years  in  wh  ch  to  pay  if  you 
desire.  Simple  interest  on  deferred  payments, 
f- tones  and  ordinary  player  pianos  ta\en  in 
exchange  at  fair  valuation^ 


"THE    INNER 

Send  for  Free  Copy 

It  tells  how  the  new  Virtuoso  is  designed  to  call 
forth  your  own  expressive  instinct  and  rtspond 
to  it.  Tells  also  hou)  music  is  a  language  t>y 
to/itch  the  composer  tells  i/cu  of  his  feelings, 
thought?,  imaginations.  It  is  a  book  extraordi- 
nary. Richly  illuslra'ed  u'ith  the  word's  most, 
famous  paintings,  inspired  ty  Music. 

If  you  send  for  a  copy  today  you'll  be  glad 
ytiu  aidn'l  forget  to  send  for  it. 


1.75  inches.    Too  short  for  easy  reading 

Instead  of  trying  to  force  you  to  walk  a  figurative  flight- 
rope  of  fixed  interpretation,  the  Virtuolo  aims  to  lead  you  to 
express  yourself  in  your  own  instinctive  way — to  let  your 
instinct  for  expression  be  stirred  into  flame. 

Four  sensitive  buttons  to  touch — that  is  all! 

They  respond  to  your  musical  desires  like  nerves  in  your 
own  finger-tips !  How  this  is  clone  is  too  much  to  try  to  tell 
in  advertisements.  The  best  way  to  explain  it  is  to  let  your 
fingers  rest  dn  the  four  expression  buttons,  and  let  the, 
Virtuolo,  itself,  tell  you  the  marvels  of  instinctive  playing, 
If  you  do  this  at  the  store  where  Virtuolos  are  sold,  you 
'will  sell  the  Virtuolo  to  yourself. 

3.12  inches.    About  right  for  easy  reading 
SEND  FOR  "THE  INNER  BEAUTY"  BOOK 

It  explains  in  simple  language,  and  shows  in  beautiful  pictures,  how  Music  has  been  the  medium 
through  which  great  souls  have  sent  down  to  us  their  feelings  of  joy,  inspiration,  pathos,  sternness, 
tragedy,  sympathy,  love,  told  in  music.  It  explains  how  these  musical  messages  may  be.  interpreted, 
felt  and  expressed  by  anyone  who  desires  —  no  matter  how  unskilled  technically  in  Music  he  may  be. 

It  explains  how  the  invention  of 

VIRTUOLO 

THE  NEW  INSTINCTIVE  PLAYER  PIANO 

4.25  inches.    Too  long  for  easy  reading 


the  printed  matter.     Legibility,  on  the  other  hand,  makes  for 
relaxation,  relaxation  leads  to  a  receptive  attitude,  and  such 


96  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

an  attitude  gives  permanence  to  the  association  presented.  It 
also  gives  better  assurance  that  the  copy  will  actually  be 
read. 

Among  the  chief  principles  of  typography  which  should  be 
observed  are  the  following,  all  of  which  are  drawn  from  the 
psychology  of  reading  and  of  eye  movement: 

1.  The  printed  line  should  be  neither  too  long  nor  too 
short.    Three  and  a  half  inches  is  most  favorable  for  ordinary 
printing.    Larger  type  permits  the  use  of  a  longer  line. 

2.  Any  considerable  body  of  reading  matter  should  be 
set  in  lower  case  (small  letters)  rather  than  in  capitals.    Most 
of  our  reading  is  done  by  the  perception  of  "word  forms" 
rather  than  the  putting  together  of  the  separate  letters  of  a 
word.    Words  set  in  capitals  all  have  much  the  same  general 
rectangular  appearance,  differing  only  in  length,  whereas  each 
word  in  lower  case  has  its  own  characteristic  appearance. 
Words  in  capitals  are  therefore  read  less  easily  in  spite  of 
their  apparently  greater  size. 

3.  Frequent  changes  in  size  or  style  of  type  are  inadvi- 
sable, because  each  one  requires  a  readjustment  of  the  eye. 

4.  The  printed  lines  should  be  of  uniform  length,  and 
beginning  and  end  should  be  in  a  uniform  place.     This  en- 
ables the  eye  to  move  rhythmically  back  and  forth  along  the 
printed  matter. 

5.  Spacing  should  be  appropriate  to  the  divisions  of  the 
material  and  should  indicate  the  unity  of  the  whole.     Letters 
should  be  closer  together  than  words,  words  than  lines,  and 
lines  than  paragraphs.     The  space  between  elements — para- 
graphs, for  instance — should  be  less  than  the  width  of  the 
elements  themselves. 

6.  Care  should  be  used  to  select  a  type  that  is  perfectly 
legible.    Roman,  Scotch,  Cheltenham,  and  Caslon,  are  among 
the  most  legible  types.    Over  ornamented  type  is  likely  to  dis- 
tract. 


ESTABLISHING   ASSOCIATIONS  97 

7.  The  background  should  be  light  enough  to  form  a 
strong  contrast  with  the  blackness  of  the  type. 

The  consideration  of  feeling  tone  should  be  complete 
enough  to  include  the  surroundings  of  the  advertisement  in 
question,  whether  they  consist  of  other  advertisements  and 
reading  matter,  or  trees  and  hill,  or  buildings.  The  presence 
of  loathsome  features  in  adjacent  advertisements,  for  one 
thing,  may  decidedly  decrease  the  effectiveness  of  an  other- 
wise effectively  presented  association.  Similarly  a  bill-board, 
which  by  unwise  selection  of  color  makes  an  unsightly  blot 
against  the  landscape,  may  lose  much  from  the  offended 
aesthetic  sense,  conscious  or  unconscious,  of  those  who  ob- 
serve it. 


CHAPTER  XII 

MAKING   ASSOCIATIONS    DYNAMIC 

Laws  of  Suggestion. — The  fourth  and  final  duty  of  an 
advertisement  is  to  influence  conduct.  In  other  words,  the 
associations  should  be  made  dynamic.  Observance  of  the 
laws  that  help  to  establish  associations  permanently  in  the 
mind  naturally  tends  also  to  give  them  a  certain  amount  of 
dynamic  force  that  will  prompt  the  reader  to  act  upon  them. 

This  does  not  always  mean  that  they  will  immediately  or 
ultimately  alter  his  behavior.  I  may  repeat  the  words  "preci- 
pice-jump" until  the  sight  of  the  one  word  always  calls  up  the 
other,  and  yet  when  I  come  to  the  precipice  I  may  obstinately 
refuse  to  jump  from  it.  But  if  the  association  were  "preci- 
pice-shout" I  should  probably  find  it  more  or  less  effective. 
The  first  association  does  not  become  dynamic  because  it  runs 
counter  to  certain  other  strongly  intrenched  tendencies  and 
impulses.  The  second  is  more  dynamic  because  it  falls  in  line 
with  a  general  tendency  which  I  already  have. 

In  the  same  way  the  association  of  need  and  commodity 
which  is  established  by  the  advertisement  is  naturally  more 
dynamic  in  some  cases  than  in  others. 

Various  obstacles  may  stand  in  the  way:  the  lack  of  means, 
the  desire  to  economize,  fear,  or  any  one  of  the  other  instincts 
or  emotions.  However,  it  is  usually  possible  to  develop  some 
tendency  to  act,  even  though  the  action  itself  may  be  post- 
poned. To  accomplish  even  this  requires  an  observance  of  cer- 
tain laws  of  suggestion,  as  well  as  the  laws  previously  stated. 

Nature  of  the  Appeal. — First,  it  is  necessary  to  choose  the 
method  of  appeal  that  is  best  suited  to  the  article  advertised 

98 


MAKING   ASSOCIATIONS   DYNAMIC  99 

and  the  response  required.  Short-circuit  appeals  will  obvi- 
ously be  ineffective  where  the  commodity  involves  a  large  ex- 
penditure and  the  need  is  strictly  utilitarian.  The  purchase 
will  certainly  not  be  made  except  after  deliberation  and  a  close 
comparison  of  competing  articles.  Thus,  an  automobile  tire 
will  require  reason-why  or  long-circuit  copy  to  establish  a 
dynamic  association,  whereas  a  complexion  cream  or  a  chew- 
ing gum  may  be  sold  through  a  direct  appeal  to  the  feelings. 
The  kind  of  response  that  is  required  must  also  be  taken 
into  consideration.  The  act  of  writing  a  letter  and  mailing  it 
cannot  be  so  easily  induced  as  the  act  of  stopping  at  a  news- 
stand and  exchanging  five  cents  for  a  package  of  mint  tablets, 
or  the  act  of  naming  a  brand  in  ordering  a  commodity  that 
is  a  regular  item  in  the  grocery  list.  In  many  cases  the  only 
act  required  is  that  of  willing  acceptance  when  the  dealer  de- 
livers a  brand  which  has  not  been  specifically  named.  "Con- 
sumer acceptance"  is  more  easily  secured  than  "consumer  de- 
mand." In  general,  it  may  be  said  that  the  more  difficult  is 
the  act  of  response,  the  more  complete  should  be  the  appeal, 
and  the  nearer  to  the  long-circuit  type. 

The  Direct  Command. — It  is  a  human  tendency  to  obey  a 
command,  provided  there  are  no  inhibitions  or  obstacles  to 
obedience.  Hence  the  association  should  be  presented  vigor- 
ously and  forcefully,  provided  it  is  in  line  with  pre-established 
habits  and  tendencies.  The  command  need  not  be  in  the  form 
of  an  imperative,  "Buy  it  by  the  box,"  but  it  should  have  a 
form  that  is  compelling.  The  following  head-lines  for  a  cigar 
advertisement  will  illustrate  the  difference  between  a  forceful 
and  a  weak  direct  suggestion. 

Forceful — 
I  WANT  You  TO  CHOOSE  BETWEEN  THESE  Two  SHAPES 

Weak- 
HERE  ARE  Two  FAVORITES     TAKE  YOUR  CHOICE 


100  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

It  should  be  noted  that  in  the  above  case  the  reader  is  not 
asked  to  buy  anything.  He  is  merely  asked  to  formulate  his 
preference  for  one  shape  of  cigar  or  the  other.  This  involves 
no  sacrifice  on  his  part,  and  is  in  line  with  his  established  ten- 
dency. The  point  is  important,  for  where  a  direct  command 
violates  established  tendencies  it  usually  savors  of  arrogance 
and  defeats  its  own  purpose. 

For  this  reason  the  indirect  suggestion  is  often  preferable, 
particularly  where  it  can  be  made  to  appear  the  reader's  own. 


Indirect  suggestion 

A  variation  of  this  method  is  to  have  the  suggestion  come 
from  one  of  the  reader's  own  class — a  workman,  for  example. 
The  success  of  advertisements  represented  as  the  direct  speech 
of  a  man  is  largely  attributable  to  the  use  of  this  method. 

Positive  and  Negative. — It  is  more  effective  to  suggest  the 
desired  response  than  to  argue  against  a  response  that  is  not 
desired.  Thus  it  is  more  effective  to  say  to  Bridget,  'Tut  the 


MAKING   ASSOCIATIONS    DYNAMIC 


101 


potato  peelings  in  the  garbage  pail,"  than  it  is  to  say,  "Do  not 
put  the  peelings  in  the  sink."  The  positive  association  is 
"peelings — pail."  The  negative  association,  "peelings — sink," 
tends  to  defeat  its  own  purpose.  The  reader  of  advertise- 
ments should  see  "Drink  Postum,"  rather  than  "Do  not  drink 
coffee."  Similarly  the  use 
of  advertising  space  simply 
to  warn  against  substitutes 
is  far  less  efficient  than  to 
use  the  same  amount  in  es- 
tablishing positive  associa- 
tions regarding  the  commod- 
ity to  be  sold. 


The  Largest  Selling  Brand 
of  Cover  Paper  in  the  World 
—and  Why;  : 


Prestige  of  the  Source. — 
The  dynamic  force  of  a  sug- 
gestion varies  directly  with 
the  prestige  of  the  source. 
The  more  we  revere  a  speak- 
er or  writer,  the  more  easily 
he  can  lead  us  to  accept  his 
suggestions  regardless  of 
the  reasons  which  support 
them.  The  mere  weight  of 
authority,  the  reputation  for 
honesty  and  service,  the  past 
success  of  the  firm,  etc.,  are 
often  found  to  be  as  effec- 
tive as  logical  arguments 
in  influencing  buying  re- 
sponse. 

The     prestige     of     the 

source  is  utilized  in  many  forms  of  advertising, 
most  important  are: 


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successful,  the  most  critical— use  Buckeye  Covers. 
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Mail  order  concerns— who  demand  serviceable,  but  low-cost 
covers — use  Buckeye  Covers. 

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102 


THE   PRINCIPLES   OF   ADVERTISING 


1.  Prestige  of  Space.    Building  the  largest  or  tallest  build- 
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time  the  firm  has  been  in  business,  the  amount  of  capital  in- 
vested, the  volume  of  production,  the  rate  of  growth,  and  the 
like,  are  often  relied  upon  to  reinforce  the  suggestions  of  ad- 
vertising and  increase  their  dynamic  force. 

3.  Prestige  of   Patronage.     Royal  warrant  or  appoint- 
ment,   adoption    for    government    use,    recommendation    of 
famous  persons,  and  the  like,  seek  to  influence  the  reader  to 
"go  and  do  likewise."     Similar  in  purpose  are  the  implied 


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who  are  represented  as  using  the  clothing,  cigarettes,  or  other 
commodity  advertised. 

4.  Borrowed  Prestige.  The  product  may  be  given  the 
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Borrowed  prestige 
103 


104  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

Yale  locks.     "Parfum  Mary  Garden"  borrows  some  of  the 
prestige  of  the  great  operatic  star. 

Simplifying  Response. —  As  has  already  been  pointed  out, 
the  dynamic  force  of  a  suggestion  may  be  partly  or  wholly 
neutralized  by  internal  resistance.  The  easier  the  action  sug- 
gested, the  more  effective  will  be  the  suggestion.  Hence  it  is 
wise  to  simplify  the  response  required. 

Where  a  direct  response  in  the  form  of  an  inquiry  is  de- 
sired it  is  well  to  provide  a  coupon,  or  other  method  of  reply- 
ing. This  coupon  should  be  so  shaped  and  placed  that  it  can 
be  easily  torn  from  the  page  and  filled  out.  Directions  for 
securing  the  goods  from  a  dealer  often  serve  to  clear  up  un- 
certainty. The  pronunciation  of  a  brand  name  may  be  spelled 
out,  to  obviate  the  embarrassment  likely  to  be  felt  by  many 
in  specifying  a  product  of  doubtful  pronunciation. 

As  the  task  of  establishing  a  new  buying  habit  or  diverting 
the  direction  of  an  old  one  always  meets  resistance,  it  is  some- 
times possible  to  introduce  a  counterbalancing  force  in  the 
shape  of  inducements.  These  vary  from  the  bargain  "leaders" 
of  the  department  store  to  the  souvenirs  with  soap  or  break- 
fast food.  These  are  offered  admittedly  or  impliedly  to  "in- 
troduce" the  product.  Care  must  be  taken  that  the  inducement 
is  not  such  as  to  cause  suspicion  of  the  merit  of  the  article  or 
endanger  the  prestige  of  the  advertiser.  To  allow  this  would 
be  to  decrease  the.  dynamic  force  of  the  association  instead  of 
increasing  it. 

Repetition. —  Repetition  of  associations  tends  to  establish 
them  and  also  to  make  them  dynamic,  provided  there  is  variety 
in  the  appeal.  Pure  mechanical  repetition  of  an  unvaried 
appeal  accomplishes  little.  A  nail  in  my  shoe  soon  ceases  to 
annoy  if  it  prods  only  gently  and  always  at  the  same  point. 
The  rims  of  my  spectacles  soon  cease  to  be  seen  or  felt,  so 


MAKING   ASSOCIATIONS   DYNAMIC  105 

long  as  they  keep  their  accustomed  position.  Similarly,  an 
advertisement  that  remains  always  the  same  blends  with  my 
surroundings  and  becomes,  for  all  practical  purposes,  invisible. 
The  weakness  of  the  old  business  card,  "Jonn  Jones,  Boots 
and  Shoes,"  in  the  newspaper,  was  due  almost  as  much  to  its 
monotony  as  to  its  intrinsic  weakness  of  appeal. 

On  the  other  hand,  a  series  of  advertisements  appealing 
now  to  this  instinct,  now  to  that,  but  always  in  the  interest  of 
the  same  commodity,  jogs  me  into  an  alert  appreciation  of  its 
presence.  Unity  in  variety  is  a  law  of  effective  suggestion. 
Repetition  accompanied  by  sufficient  change  to  lend  interest 
and  by  sufficient  uniformity  to  have  a  constant  meaning  will 
make  itself  felt  sooner  or  later  in  the  buying  action  of  those 
to  whom  the  campaign  is  directed. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

TESTING  THE  RELATIVE  VALUE  OF 
ADVERTISING  APPEALS 

Scientific  Laboratory  Methods. —  The  value  of  the  scien- 
tific study  of  human  nature  for  the  problems  of  advertising 
has  in  recent  years  been  given  general  recognition.  Not  only 
have  advertisers  come  to  pay  careful  attention  to  proved  laws ; 
they  have  also  undertaken  researches  to  discover  new  facts 
and  principles  that  might  aid  them  to  decrease  waste  effort. 
Clubs  and  associations  have  supported  investigations  con- 
ducted for  the  benefit  of  all.  and  individual  concerns  have  in 
many  instances  retained  the  services  of  consulting  psycholo- 
gists. 

Through  the  use  of  laboratory  methods  it  is  often  possible 
to  determine  in  advance  of  a  campaign  many  of  the  most  im- 
portant factors  that  enter  into  it.  Among  the  great  number 
of  practical  problems  that  have  been  investigated  in  particular 
cases,  the  following  may  be  cited  as  typical: 

Measurement  of  the  "pulling  power"  of  advertisements; 
tests  of  the  attention  and  memory  value  of  trade-names, 
slogans,  and  packages;  studies  of  the  appropriateness  and 
"atmosphere"  of  designs,  containers,  illustrations,  and  "char- 
acters"; measures  of  the  legibility  and  invitingness  of  differ- 
ent arrangements  and  amounts  of  printed  matter;  tests  of  the 
effectiveness  of  various  uses  of  white  space;  determination  of 
the  permanence  of  impression  produced  by  size  of  space  as 
compared  with  frequency  of  insertion ;  tests  of  the  actual  con- 
fusion existing  in  the  minds  of  consumers  between  alleged 
infringing  trade-names,  trade-marks,  wrappers,  etc. ;  measure- 
ment of  the  relative  interest  and  persuasiveness  of  different 

106 


TESTING   ADVERTISING   APPEALS  107 

sales  points  and  qualities  of  commodities;  studies  of  the  in- 
fluence of  different. colors  and  textures  of  paper  on  the  effec- 
tiveness and  legibility  of  printing;  analysis  of  the  correctness 
and  conclusiveness  of  statistical  field  investigations. 

The  detailed  character  of  problems  that  have  been  studied 
in  this  way  cannot  be  rehearsed  here,  partly  for  lack  of  space 
and  partly  because  the  results  are  as  yet  in  many  instances  the 
exclusive  property  of  the  concerns  responsible  for  their  ac- 
cumulation. Three  specific  cases  may,  however,  be  given  in 
order  to  illustrate  the  practical  application  of  the  laboratory 
technique  in  advertising. 

Many  studies  have  been  made  of  the  relative  "pulling 
power"  of  advertisements  that  have  been  or  are  about  to  be 
used.  The  task  of  tracing  returns  from  single  advertisements 
by  the  traditional  methods  of  keying  is  in  many  cases  an  im- 
possible one  (as  in  general  publicity  advertising).  In  other 
cases  this  method  is  laborious  and  full  of  sources  of  error, 
while  it  always  necessitates  planning  the  campaign  carefully 
beforehand,  if  the  returns  are  to  be  reliable.  In  strict  mail- 
order business  alone  is  the  task  relatively  easy. 

The  Pulling  Power  of  Advertisements. — Nevertheless  it  is 
universally  realized  that  even  slight  differences  in  the  content, 
appearance,  arrangement,  style,  etc.,  of  various  pieces  of  copy 
may  make  enormous  differences  in  their  relative  "pulling 
power."  One  of  the  most  useful  discoveries  has  been  that,  by 
proper  study  and  analysis  in  the  psychological  laboratory,  the 
relative  "pulling  power"  of  advertisements  can  be  accurately 
measured  beforehand.  The  validity  of  these  measurements 
has  been  time  and  time  again  attested  by  their  close  agreement 
and  with  actual  returns  from  the  various  advertisements,  in 
cases  where  reliable  keying  has  been  possible. 

The  following  table,  for  example,  gives  a  series  of  adver- 
tisements (indicated  by  letters)  with  their  relative  values  as 


io8 


THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 


measured  in  the  laboratory  and  their  relative  results  as  in- 
dicated by  the  number  of  inquiries  brought  by  each  piece  of 
copy  when  run  in  two  magazines.  The  first  column  gives 
the  15  advertisements  (all  of  the  same  article  but  differing 
from  each  other  in  a  great  many  ways).  The  second  and  third 
columns  give  the  order  of  superiority  of  these  advertisements 
for  men  and  women.  No.  i  is  the  best,  No.  2  is  next  best, 
and  so  on,  No.  15  meaning  that  the  advertisement  with  that 
grade  was  the  poorest  of  the  series.  The  fourth  column  gives 
the  relative  order  of  merit  when  the  men  and  women  readers 
are  considered  together.  The  fifth  column  gives  the  actual 
number  of  inquiries  produced  by  each  advertisement,  through 
its  appearance  in  two  standard  magazines,  once. 

MEASURING  PULLING  POWER  BEFOREHAND 


Key  to  the 

Positions 

Positions 

Final 

Produced 

Advertise- 

for 

for 

Average 

Actual 

ment 

Men 

Women 

Positions 

Inquiries 

B 

3 

4 

i 

258 

A 

4 

3 

2 

155 

H 

i 

7 

3 

4i 

R 

7 

2 

4 

60 

K 

6 

6 

5 

93 

Y 

5 

8 

6 

33 

Z 

2 

ii 

7 

30 

W 

13 

i 

8 

44 

J 

8 

9 

9 

37 

D 

12 

5 

10 

15 

C 

9 

12 

ii 

9 

G 

II 

13 

12 

i 

F 

14 

10 

13 

7 

0 

15 

14 

14 

8 

E 

10 

15 

15 

5 

The  following  table  presents  the  results  of  another  experi- 
ment of  this  sort,  in  which  the  series  contained  only  five  ad- 
vertisements. The  first  column  indicates  the  advertisement, 


MEASURING  PULLING  POWER  BEFOREHAND 

Relative      - 

Key  to  the 

Values  by 

Replies 

Replies 

Advertise- 

Experiment, 

from  One 

from  2nd 

ment 

Per  Cent 

Medium 

Medium 

A 

27 

68 

16 

B 

29 

68 

20 

C 

3* 

80 

25 

D 

32 

83 

32 

E 

33 

94 

44 

TESTING  ADVERTISING   APPEALS  109 

the  second  gives  the  relative  per  cent  values  as  determined  by 
experiment,  the  third  gives  the  number  of  replies  from  each 
advertisement  in  one  magazine,  the  fourth  column  the  number 
of  inquiries  from  the  same  advertisement  in  another  magazine, 
and  the  last  the  total  replies  from  each  advertisement. 


Total 
Replies 
84 

88 

105 
H5 
138 

Examination  of  the  tables  shows  that  there  is  almost  ab- 
solute agreement  between  the  results  of  the  experiments  and 
the  actual  returns.  If  the  experiment  had  been  performed  at 
an  early  enough  time,  it  would  have  been  possible  to  eliminate 
the  less  effective  advertisements  from  the  campaign,  and  to 
substitute  for  them  more  effective  ones,  based  on  the  principles 
illustrated  in  the  superior  pieces  of  copy;  for  the  laboratory 
study  not  only  measures  the  relative  value  of  the  different 
appeals  but  also  analyzes  the  reasons  for  these  differences. 

There  are  now  on  record  a  score  of  such  studies,  and  in  no 
case  has  the  laboratory  study  failed  to  reveal,  beforehand, 
and  as  the  result  of  only  two  or  three  days  of  work,  the  actual 
facts  as  disclosed  by  the  results  of  the  campaign.  Keying 
copy  in  the  old-fashioned  way  is  not  only  difficult  but  wasteful 
and  usually  useless.  The  results  are  not  known  until  the 
campaign  is  over  and  the  money  spent  ( frequently  at  the  rate 
of  $5,000  or  more  a  page,  for  a  single  appearance).  The 
poor  appeals  cost  as  much  as  the  good  ones,  in  spite  of  the 
difference  in  the  returns. 


HO  THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

Experimental  Analysis  of  a  Successful  Campaign. — The  ad- 
vertising campaign  of  a  particular  commodity  had  extended 
over  a  period  of  two  Years,  in  national  periodicals  only.  The 
campaign  as  a  whole  had  brought  gratifying  results,  hut  there 
were  indications  that  among  the  various  pieces  of  copy,  with 
their  varying  form,  content,  and  appeal,  some  pieces  were 
superior  to  others.  Copywriter,  typographer,  illustrator,  and 
layout  man  had  in  each  instance  made  what  seemed  to  each 
his  best  effort,  although,  since  no  general  principle  of  appeal 
had  been  formulated,  each  was  compelled  to  rely  on  his  in- 
dividual taste  and  personal  bias — on  what  is  sometimes  dig- 
nified by  the  term,  "inspiration."  Throughout  the  campaign 
the  space  occupied  and  the  media  used  remained  constant,  and 
the  commodity  was  not  one  on  the  sale  of  which  such  vari- 
ables as  weather  or  time  of  year  had  any  marked  influence. 
Nevertheless  it  was  feh  that  the  "inspirations'*  were  by  no 
means  equally  effective,  and  in  planning  the  further  marketing 
of  the  commodity  it  was  desired  to  make  a  more  perfect  cam- 
paign by  discarding  the  ineffective  types  of  appeal.  Analysis 
by  the  printer,  the  illustrator,  the  layout  man,  the  copywriter, 
and  the  field  investigator  proved  of  no  avail  Although  each 
was  a  specialist  in  his  own  field,  no  one  of  them  could  formu- 
late a  principle  of  effective  appeal  to  be  followed  in  the  next 
campaign,  and  so  the  materials  were  taken  to  the  laboratory. 

Tests  of  "pulling  power,"  in  the  manner  suggested  in  the 
preceding  section,  made  it  possible  to  arrange  representative 
specimens  of  the  advertising  in  a  graded  series.  At  or, 
treme  were  the  specimens  with  high  pulling  power,  and  the 
series  then  tapered  off  in  effectiveness,  through  good,  medium, 
and  poor,  down  to  the  very  poor  appeals.  With  this  experi- 
mental series  in  view  it  was  then  possible,  by  tracing  single 
factors  up  or  down  the  series,  to  deduce  certain  clear-cut  prin- 
ciples of  effective  appeal 

The  niustratioos.     Considering  the  illustrations  first,  the 


TESTING  ADVERTISING  APPEALS  m 


I oflowing  observations  were  made.  At  die  poor  end  of  the 
series  a  single  individual  was  portrayed,  using  die  cianuiudity 
in  a  solitary  and  independent  war.  Proceeding  op  toward  die 
good  end  of  die  series  die  niunbci  of  people  increased  uni- 
formly, from  die  solitary  individual  at  die  lower  end,  to  two, 

three,  four,  and,  in  the  most  effective  appeals,  to  fire  or 

i  _s  *  — ^  «   _«*M   _ ^* M,  _.      _  _^ _^ 

Dcoole,  ^^ff/^jjffo  MI  ffpf ppe  social.  flBluathMij  t"*^*^'  social 

course  being  facilitated  by  tne  <"yy  of  tne  commodity  in 
tion.  At  the  lower  end  of  die  series  tne  cuts  were  sharp, 
clearly  defined,  with  strong  contrasts  and  hard,  distinct  out- 
hnesu  Going  np  the  series  the  illustrations  became  softer  and 
V*cc  ^gfrttirfj  tiie  contrasts  less  sharp,  the  ^Fll"^  Iray  ^V^^^, 
until  at  the  upper  extreme  the  whole  effect  was  aiMfpfd,  die 

"  ~     ~"  1  ~~    "Hit 


gradual,  giving  a  dreamlike,  visionary,  or  twifight  effect. 

The  Text.  Considering  the  text,  at  the  lower  end  the  copy 
dealt  chiefly  with  the  construction  of  the  commodity,  its  his- 
tory, nialmiisin,  and  mode  of  operation.  The  appeal  of  the 
text  was  argumentative  and  logical  Going  np  the  series  dbe 
'c  jfcinii  $*cnjdcr3Li.  OP 


seen  to  be  less  and  less  pi'ominent.  The  text  at  the  upper  end 
of  the  series  described  the  effects,  rather  than  die  mode  of 
producing  them,  appealed  strongly  and  specifically  to  particu- 

lar  Imntjtff  tTH^ififf'Q  ^tyy^i  ffin^i^^ic  three 
f^iiiifMy'  fTM*iii  by  imnc  or  ^M^^y^ny  «il  lyr^*^o^  to 
pedantic  way.    At  the  bottom  of  the  series  the  strictly 

l>cir|   oi  "M*  Copy  Of  Ciip^CXl 


die  higher  up  the  series  one  went  the  more  the  marketing  de- 
tails fell  away,  leaving  more  and  more  space  for  die 
nature  appeal  and  the 

c  ~  f :~  • 


Conclusions  Arrived  At  Various  odier  factors  of  definite 
tance  were  thus  determined  through  analyzing  the  series, 
of  them  increasing  in  prominence  toward  the  good  end 


112  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

and  others  toward  the  poor  end.  It  was  possible,  as  a  result 
of  the  laboratory  tests  and  the  psychological  analysis,  to  give 
specific  principles  for  the  formulation  of  the  new  campaign. 
It  was  clear  that  the  effective  appeal  for  this  commodity  should 
have  the  following  characteristics: 

1.  It  should  not  stress  the  mechanical    and    structural 

character  of  the  commodity  but  should  rather  por- 
tray the  desirable  effects  occasioned  by  its  use. 

2.  It  should  not  represent  the  commodity  in  the  hands  of 

a  solitary  individual,  but  should  rather  portray  its 
use  in  some  social  situation,  rendering  more  perfect 
and  interesting  the  social  activities  of  the  group. 

3.  It  should  not  proceed  in  terms  of  deliberate  and  di- 

dactic argument,  but  by  presenting  a  specific  appeal 
to  one  or  other  of  three  definite,  common  instincts 
or  emotions,  without  calling  them  by  name  or  di- 
recting conscious  attention  to  them. 

4 .  •  It  should  be  illustrated  by  relevant  cuts,  with  charac- 

teristic tendencies,  especially  avoiding  sharpness  of 
contrast,  distinctness  of  outline,  and  clearness  of 
composition,  tending  always  toward  softness,  vague- 
ness, and  dreamy  indistinctness. 

5.  Considerably   more    space   should   be    given    to    the 

human-nature  appeal  than  to  the  more  strictly  mar- 
keting information. 

Later  investigation  and  the  use  of  special  methods  of  key- 
ing the  returns  indicated  that  the  experimental  laboratory  or- 
der of  effectiveness  agreed  almost  perfectly  with  the  actual 
returns.  The  correlation  between  the  laboratory  measure- 
ments and  the  business  results  was  92  per  cent.  This  is  but 
one  of  many  illustrations  of  the  practical  value  of  the  tech- 
nical laboratory  analysis  of  the  elements  making  up  the  adver- 
tising campaign. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE  NATURE  AND  PURPOSE  OF  ADVERTISING 

COPY 

The  Importance  of  Copy. — When  the  average  man  speaks 
of  advertising,  he  thinks  of  advertisements.  Often  he  does 
not  know  how  large  a  part  of  advertising  lies  behind  the  ad- 
vertisement. The  thorough  market  analysis,  the  intelligent 
selection  of  media,  the  careful  determination  of  the  appeal  that 
is  psychologically  sound — these  are  largely  unknown  except 
to  practitioners.  The  advertisement  is  the  thing. 

The  advertiser  cannot  neglect  the  other  factors  which 
enter  into  advertising,  but  he  must  recognize  that  they  are 
of  little  avail  unless  the  advertisement  does  the  work  it  is 
called  upon  to  do.  It  must  impress  the  reader  favorably  with 
the  message  of  his  house  and  his  product.  Copy  is  but  a 
small  part  of  advertising,  but  it  is  the  final  part.  It  is  the 
crystallization  of  the  science  and  art  of  advertising. 

Advertising  copy  in  the  larger  sense  includes  the  whole 
advertisement.  It  includes  all  the  symbols  by  which  the  ad- 
vertising message  is  conveyed — not  merely  words,  but  form, 
color,  illustrations,  type,  and  ornament.  For  convenience, 
however,  these  latter  will  be  considered  in  the  chapters  on 
display  and  the  discussion  of  advertising  copy  will  be  con- 
fined to  the  message  in  words. 

Distinction  from  Other  Forms  of  Composition. — The  value 
of  an  advertising  message  in  words,  like  that  of  any  other 
business  English  message,  is  determined  by  its  effect.  It  must 
be  profitable  from  a  dollars-and-cents  standpoint.  Its  art  is  dis- 
tinctly utilitarian. 


H4  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF   ADVERTISING 

This  does  not  mean  that  an  advertisement  may  not  be 
literature.  In  point  of  fact,  every  form  of  literature  is  repre- 
sented in  the  field  of  advertising.  We  have  exposition,  argu- 
ment, description,  narration;  we  have  short  stories,  dramas, 
even  verse.  Sometimes  advertisements  written  in  any  of  these 
forms  rank  very  high,  judged  purely  and  simply  from  critical 
standards  of  excellence.  The  point  is  that  such  a  judgment 
is  in  no  sense  final.  The  rhymes  of  Phoebe  Snow  and  the 
Spotless  Town  jingles  were  good  advertising,  not  because 
they  were  perfect  in  rhyme  or  rhythm,  or  even  because  they 
amused  us,  but  because  they  impressed  upon  us  the  distinctive 
merits  of  the  Lackawanna  Railroad  and  Sapolio,  so  that  we 
ultimately  gave  them  our  patronage.  Advertising  copy  must 
always  influence  action  either  directly  by  leading  to  an  order 
or  inquiry,  or  indirectly  by  building  good-will. 

Adjustment  to  the  Reader. — This  distinction  between  ad- 
vertising English  and  literature  has  a  deeper  significance. 
When  people  read  for  interest  or  instruction,  they  do  so  will- 
ingly. They  give  their  time  and  energy  to  it.  Often  they 
make  a  sacrifice;  not  only  a  financial  sacrifice  in  buying  the 
literature,  but  also  a  mental  sacrifice  in  digging  out  its  mean- 
ing. The  passage  of  ideas  from  one  mind  to  another  is  diffi- 
cult. We  must  have  a  glossary  and  explanatory  notes  to  read 
Chaucer  or  Shakespeare  or  Browning.  The  message  contained 
in  the  classics  of  even  our  own  language  has  to  be  bought  and 
paid  for.  Some  adjustment  between  writer  and  reader  must 
always  be  made  before  the  idea  in  the  mind  of  one  penetrates 
to  that  of  the  other.  In  the  case  of  literature,  the  reader 
makes  it. 

That  is  why  we  commonly  speak  of  "expressing  our- 
selves." The  writer  ordinarily  thinks  of  self-expression. 
Nearly  all  literature  may  be  judged  by  the  success  that  the 
writer  has  had  in  expressing  himself.  This  is  not  a  criticism 


PURPOSE  OF  ADVERTISING  COPY 

of  literature.  It  is  fitting  that  it  should  be  written  in  this 
way ;  but  when  we  come  to  write  advertising  or  other  business 
messages,  we  must  write  for  the  reader.  If  there  is  any 
adjustment  to  make,  we  must  make  it.  Reading  must  be  made 
as  easy  as  possible  for  him.  His  time  and  energy  must  be 
economized. 

In  a  word,  the  writer  of  advertising  English  must  be  less 
concerned  with  expression  than  with  impression.  He  cannot 
be  satisfied  to  have  his  writing  merely  technically  correct, 
merely  instructive,  or  merely  amusing.  It  must  also  "get 


across." 


This  is  not  so  easy  as  it  sounds.  The  reader  does  not 
buy  advertising;  it  is  thrust  upon  him.  Often  it  is  thrust 
upon  him  when  his  purpose  is  to  read  something  entirely  dif- 
ferent. If  it  is  to  succeed,  it  must  not  only  get  his  attention, 
despite  the  competing  attractions  of  the  editorial  matter  for 
which  he  has  bought  the  newspaper  or  magazine,  but  having 
secured  his  attention,  it  must  be  so  clear  and  interesting  that 
he  will  read  it,  understand  it,  and  in  due  time  act  upon  it. 
The  task  of  amusing  or  instructing  a  man  is  simple  compared 
to  the  task  of  molding  his  conduct  and  directing  his  action. 
These  latter  purposes  are  the  ultimate  aims  of  advertising  copy. 

A  Good  Advertising  Style. —  If  advertising  copy  must  in- 
deed be  adjusted  to  the  reader,  then  it  is  clear  that  the  old 
narrow  conception  of  style  is  not  enough  for  the  copywriter^ 
The  famous  definition  of  Buffon,  "le  style  est  de  I'homme 
meme"  (style  is  of  the  man  himself),  is-true,  but  insufficient. 
The  writer's  individuality  does  creep  into  his  work  and  indi- 
vidualize it.  In  writing  copy,  however,  he  should  not  be  think- 
ing of  this.  Nor  is  it  enough  merely  to  submerge  his  person- 
ality in  that  of  the  house  whose  message  he  is  trying  to  con- 
vey. He  must  consider  first  and  foremost  the  reader — his 
character,  his  interests,  and  his  language.  The  copywriter's 


Il6  THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

definition  of  style  should  be:  "Style  is  the  man  in  ihe  right 
relation  to  his  subject  and  his  reader/' 

Writing  from  this  view-point,  he  will  find  that  though  he 
needs  to  know  all  about  his  article  and  the  company  that  made 
it,  he  needs  far  more  to  know  its  market  and  the  people  who 
use  it.  He  must  view  it  as  they  do,  feel  and  think  about  it 
as  they  do,  and  above  all,  talk  about  it  in  language  that  is 
familiar  and  agreeable  to  them.  If  he  does  this,  he  can  be 
in  a  position  to  write  a  message  adapted  to  them  to  which 
they  will  respond. 

The  task  of  writing  a  sales  letter,  which  is  somewhat  akin 
to  that  of  writing  an  advertisement,  is  simpler  because  no  other 
persons  have  to  be  considered  except  the  class  that  is  ad- 
dressed. The  letter  is,  in  a  sense,  private  and  confidential. 
If  you  are  writing  to  plumbers  or  printers  or  lawyers,  you  can 
use  terms  peculiar  to  the  vocabulary  of  the  plumber,  the 
printer,  or  the  lawyer.  If  you  are  writing  to  foreigners,  you 
can  write  partly  or  entirely  in  their  native  tongue. 

An  advertisement,  on  the  other  hand,  is  a  public  announce- 
ment. In  some  special  publications  which  circulate  only  among 
a  given  class,  it  is  permissible  to  use  the  lingo  of  that  class. 
In  most  instances,  however,  there  is  a  large  body  of  readers 
other  than  those  directly  addressed  who  may  see  the  advertise- 
ment and  be  influenced  by  it,  favorably  or  unfavorably.  Often- 
times it  happens  that  they  are  offended  by  an  advertisement 
written  in  a  language  other  than  their  own.  Thus,  when  a 
street-car  card  for  a  well-known  brand  of  tea  was  written 
in  Yiddish,  there  were  many  customers  and  prospective  cus- 
tomers of  the  product  who  felt  offended.  In  their  zeal 
for  adaptation  to  the  reader,  with  a  commendable  desire  to 
get  as  much  response  as  possible,  the  company  sacrificed  a 
part  of  its  good- will. 

In  general,  however,  copy  can  safely  be  written  from  the 
view-point  of  those  who  are  already  customers  or  prospective 


THIS  ADVERTISEMENT  IS  DEDICATED 
TO  THE  TOILERS  OF  THE  WORLD, 

practitioners  of  the  sciences;  men  of  brain  and  brawn, 
an  union  of  trained  intelligences  co-operating  to  evolve 
a  perfect  product 

The  world  tenders  respect  to  the  man  who  is  a  mas- 
ter of  means  and  methods,  for  when  he  learns  and 
knows  his  task  thoroughly  it  teaches  him  to  respect 
what  he  learns,  because  merit  and  true  worth  are  im- 
parted to  that  which  he  produces. 

In  the  Hyatt  workshops,  the  melting  pot  of  science 
and  skill,  scholars  of  labor  construct  perfect  automobile 
bearings,  so  quiet  in  operation  that  speeding  motorists 
disturb  not  silent  vesper  hours. 


HYATT  ROLLER  BEARING  COMPANY 
Detroit  Newark,  N.J.  Chicago 


Pretentious  style,  unsuited  to  the  readers 


REQUEST 


117 


Il8  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

customers  and  in  their  language.  It  should  then  be  scrutinized 
carefully  to  see  that  it  contains  nothing  that  might  offend  any 
reader  and  thus  harm  the  advertiser's  good-will. 

Many  instances  could  be  cited  of  the  failure  to  adapt  the 


THE  TRUTH  No.2 

The  only  serious  accident  on  the  mair  line  of  the  New  York. 
New  Haven  &  Hartford  Railroad,  thus  far  this  >  ear  between  Boston  and 
New  York,  was  at  Westport,  October  3rd,  when  the  engineer,  with  five 
year*  of  clear  record  behind  him,  from  some  forever  unknown  cause, 
passed  Mven  signals  and  warnings  and  took  a  No.  10  crossover  at  50  miles 
an  hoar  where  his  speed  regulation  called  for  15.  He  lost  his  life  and 
the  lives  of  six  other*.  Had  the  crossover  been  a  No.  20,  the  speed  limit 
for  which  it  25  miles  an  hour  the  result  would  have  been  the  same. 

But  there  may  be  some  violation  of  rules  and  regulations  in  the 
future,  when,  with  a  somewhat  less  speed,  a  No.  20  crossover,  which  is 
50%  longer  than  a  No.  10,  may  save  a  train  from  disaster;  and  No.  20 
crossovers  have  been  ordered  installed  for  all  express  service  as  soon  as 
the  weather  will  permit. 

Meanwhile  the  Public  Utilities  Commission  of  Connecticut  has 
ordered  that  all  express  trains  come  to  a  full  stop  at  crossovers  before 
the  switch  is  changed  for  the  detour  of  the  train. 

This  order  is  being  strictly  complied  with  and  lengthens  the  running) 
time  between  New  York  and  Boston  by  twelve  minutes,  some  of  which  can 
be  made  up  in  clear  sections  of  the  track. 

But,  as  SAFETY  MUST  BE  THE  FIRST  CONSIDERATION, 
the  officials  of  the  road  are  now  figuring  to  what  extent  there  should  be  a 
readjustment  of  the  time  schedule  temporarily  for  the  winter  traffic. 

The  New  York  and  Chicago  expresses  have  lengthened  their  time 
for  the  winter  by  two  hours  and  a  corresponding  lengthening  of  our  five 
hour  trains  would  mean  a  winter  time  of  five  hours  and  a  half  for  our  pres- 
ent five  hour  trains.  This  is  quite  unnecessary  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the 
New  Haven  roadbed  and  rails  are  unsurpassed  for  solidity  of  construction 
by  any  railroad  in  the  United  States;  and  if  it  is  finally,  determined  that 
with  these  stops  at  crossovers  there  must  be  a  lengthening  of  time  schedules 
it  will  not  be  more  than  fifteen  minutes  for  the  five  hour  expresses  and  in 
such  proportion  as  may  be  found  necessary  for  other  trains. 

CHARLES  S.  MELLEN, 

President 


Cold,  formal  language — obscure  and  lacking  in  general  appeal 

language  to  the  reader.  Consider  the  newspaper  advertise- 
ments inserted  by  the  New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford 
Railroad  at  a  time  when  public  sentiment  against  it  was  espe- 


PURPOSE  OF  ADVERTISING  COPY 


119 


cially  strong.  The  intellectual  and  conservative  class  of  people 
did  understand  and  appreciate  these  messages,  but  how  about 
the  great  mass  of  people,  whose  average  education  is  only 
equivalent  to  that  of  a  child  in  the  fifth  grade  of  the  public 
schools  ?  These  were  the  people  that  the  railroad  most  needed 
to  reach;  they  were  the  ones  from  whom  outcries  against  the 
railroad  came.  Did  the  railroad  get  down  to  their  level  and 
talk  to  them?  No.  Its  copy  was  dignified  and  cold,  almost 
antagonistic.  Small  wonder  that  it  failed  to  change  the  public 


tuna*  DUICMID  i 


Lackawanna 
Railroad 


Says  Phoebe  Snow: 
These  emblems  show 
Your  pride  in  letting 
People  know 
That  day  or  night 
Their  safety's  quite 
First  rule  on  Road 

of  Anthracite." 


Safety  means  efficiency.  Personal  efficiency  minimizes  accidents. 
That's  why  Lackawanna  employees  are  striving  to  put  "Safety 
First"  above  every  other  consideration.  The  button  which  they 
have  adopted  is  intended  to  fasten  the  grip  of  safety  on  every 
mile  of  Lackawanna  track. 

The   Road  of  Anthracite 


Simple,  concrete  appeal  that  reaches  the  public 


sentiment.     Compare  with  this  the  popular  advertising  of  the 
Lackawanna. 


120  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

The  task  of  the  sales  letter  is  easier  than  that  of  adver- 
tising copy,  for  another  reason.  The  sales  letter  goes  out 
to  an  individual  whose  name  it  bears.  When  it  reaches  his 
hands  it  has  no  competing  attraction  for  the  moment.  More- 
over, although  this  reader  may  be  one  of  many  thousands  to 
whom  the  same  letter  goes,  he  and  all  the  others  have  been 
picked  out  in  advance  because  they  are  alike  in  some  one  re- 
spect, such  as  wealth,  education,  profession,  or  social  standing. 
The  readers  of  a  newspaper  or  general  magazine,  on  the  other 
hand,  are  alike  in  only  one  respect,  their  ability  to  read.  They 
are  not  all  prospective  buyers  of  the  product.  Those  who 
are  prospective  buyers  have  to  be  picked  out  automatically  by 
the  appeal  of  the  advertisement  itself.  Sometimes  a  crude 
method  is  used,  resembling  that  of  the  letter,  such  as  placing 
at  the  top  the  salutation:  "Mr.  Business  Man,"  or  "House- 
wives, Attention !"  Occasionally  this  method  is  useful,  as  for 
instance,  when  a  manufacturer  of  toys  begins:  "Say,  fellows, 
here's  real  fun."  Ordinarily  there  are  better  ways.  The 
point  is  that  some  method  has  to  be  found  whereby  the  ad- 
vertisement automatically  picks  out  its  prospects  from  the 
great  mass  of  readers. 

Fortunately,  there  are  some  respects  in  which  all  human 
beings  are  somewhat  alike.  All  have  certain  fundamental  in- 
stincts and  emotions,  and,  as  psychology  has  shown,  all  react 
in  much  the  same  way  to  the  same  stimuli.  Class  distinctions 
there  are,  as  well  as  individual  differences.  These  will  come 
in  for  consideration  later  under  the  heading  of  copy  in  class 
publications.  In  the  main,  however,  our  study  of  copy  will 
deal  with  advertising  in  the  more  general  publications.  Such 
advertising  copy  is  concerned  chiefly  with  the  likenesses  of 
human  nature,  whereas  salesmanship  is  concerned  mainly  with 
the  differences  of  human  nature.  We  must,  therefore,  con- 
sider first  of  all  the  qualities  that  are  effective  with  the  great 
majority  of  people. 


PURPOSE   OF  ADVERTISING   COPY  121 

Economy. — The  nature  of  these  qualities  has  been  implied 
to  some  extent  by  what  has  already  been  said  about  the  prob- 
lem of  adaptation  to  the  reader.  To  be  most  efficient,  copy 
should  economize  the  reader's  attention  and  should  impress 
him  forcibly.  We  may  therefore  say  that  copy  should  possess. 
economy  and  distinctiveness.  Of  these,  the  former  is  the  more 
important.  The  main  task  of  the  writer  is  to  make  reading 
easy  and  to  make  certain  that  his  message  is  clearly  impressed 
upon  the  mind  of  the  reader. 

Under  the  heading  of  economy,  the  first  quality  is  clear- 
ness. The  meaning  of  an  advertising  message  should  be  plain 
at  the  first  glance.  Unusual  words,  long,  involved  sentences, 
and  strained  pretentious  phrases  obscure  the  message.  Vague 
generalities,  such  as  best  in  the  world,  highest  quality,  none 
superior  made,  take  away  something  from  the  clearness  of 
the  message,  because  if  they  convey  any  message  at  all,  it  is 
too  vague  and  inexact  to  make  an  impression. 

The  reader  should  not  be  distracted  from  the  thought  it- 
self to  the  symbols  which  convey  the  thought.  Every  word 
in  the  copy  should  be  a  necessary  part  of  the  message.  It 
should  also  be  a  word  that  is  familiar  to  the  reader  and  that 
does  not  by  its  strangeness  lead  him  to  pause  in  his  progress. 
It  would  not  pay  to  use  simplified  spelling  in  advertising  be- 
cause recognition  of  the  words  would  be  slower  and  some  of 
the  mental  effort  would  be  taken  away  from  the  understand- 
ing of  the  message  and  directed  to  the  understanding  of  the 
symbols. 

This  indicates  one  reason  why  the  second  requisite  for 
economy  is  correctness.  The  majority  of  people  are  accus- 
tomed to  correct  language,  at  least  in  messages  they  receive 
through  the  printed  word,  if  not  through  the  spoken  word. 
Indeed,  correctness  is  after  all  only  the  crystallized  preference 
of  the  majority.  Advertising  copy  is  not  bound  by  the  hard- 
and-fast  rules  of  the  rhetorician.  If  the  majority  of  readers 


I 

Distinctiveness  without  paying 
anything  extra  for  reputation 

Moline-Knight  cars  now  in  the 
hands  of  private  owners  have 
made  good.  Every  claim  made 
by  us  has  been  substantiated. 

Moline-Knight  The  Moline-Knight  sleeve 

represents  progress     valve  type  of  engine  repre- 
-^^s============     sents   today  the   greatest 

real,  substantial  progress  in  motor  construction. 

It  is  individually  distinctive,  a  powerful,  reliable, 
silent  car — engineered  with  surpassing  skill — built 
in  small  quantities  with  great  care— finished  in  a 
high  class  manner,  matchless  throughout — and 
nothing  added  to  the  price  for  reputation. 

This  is  the  motor  that  made  the  phenomenal  337 
hour  non-stop  run  in  the  laboratory  of  the  Automo- 
bile Club  of  America,  New  York,  averaging  38  horse- 
power under  load  and  at  the  end  of  the  test  reach- 
ing 53.6  horsepower  at  1682  revolutions  per  minute. 

The  Moline-Knight  is  distinctive  and  is  a  car  that 
is  instantly  recognized  on  the  boulevard.  It  is  sym- 
bolic of  reliability,  comfort  and  luxuriousness,  and 
is  as  near  perfection  as  human  brains,  energy  and 
automatic  machinery  are  possible  to  make  it.  All 
steels,  wood,  upholstering,  leather  and  other  mate- 
rials-used in  the  Moline-Knight  cannot  be  better 
because  the  world's  markets  and  craftsmanship 
have  not  yet  produced  anything  superior. 

Get  Our  Because  of  our  limited  production- 
literature  not  over  120°  ca»"s  during  1915— and 
=  the  increasing  and  insistent  demand  for 
Knight  Motored  cars  at  a  fair  price — the  Moline- 
Knight  50  H.  P.,  Four-Cylinder  .at  $2500  will  be 
oversold  early.  So  write  at  once  foV  descriptive 
booklets  and  get  acquainted  with  this  splendid  car. 

Dealers  If  y°u  have  been  selling  a  high  grade 
—  car,  write 'us  at  once  for  advance  infor- 
mation regarding  Roadster,  Sedan  and  Limousine 
to  be  added  to  the  Moline-Knight  line.  We  will 
require  a  limited  number  of  high  grade  men  to 
market  our  entire  production. 


Moline  Automobile 
Company 


East.  Moline, 
Illinois 


Too  many  broad  generalizations 


122 


On  Ordinary  Paper  one  letter  costs 
*  + 


What  Do  You  Buy  with  the 
%)  of  a  cent  you  save? 

One  average  letter  on  a  fair-to-middling  com- 
mercial stationery  will  cost  you  at  the  very  least 
5  cents. 

This  includes  stenographer's  time,  typewriter 
wear  and  tear,  postage  and  the  office  boy's 
service.  Your  time  in  dictation  is  not  counted. 

The  same  letter  on  Old  Hampshire  Bond 
would  cost  5  and  l/io  cents. 

For  l/io  of  a  cent  more  per  letter — 1/2  a  cent 
on  a  series  of  five  letters — you  can  have  the 
undeniable  prestige  and  dignity  afforded  b,y 


What  better  advertising  can  you  buy  for  a  tenth  of  a 
cent  per  letter?  For  l/io  of  a  cent  per  letter,  your  let- 
ter becomes  the  peer  of  any — suitably  expressing  the 
standards  of  your  business. 

Firms  have  been  known  to  register  letters— to  put 
special  delivery  stamps  on  them— to  announce  their 
coming  by  telegrams— to  resort  to  any  number  of  costly 
schemes  to  get  attention  for  their  letters. 

Why  all  this  when  Old  Hampshire  Bond  gets  atten- 
tion by  its  character?  It  is  the  crisp,  crackling  bond 
paper  used  by  the  kind  of  men  and  firms  whose  mes- 
sages are  important  and  who  do  not  write  for  idle  or 
unnecessary  reasons. 

No  man  who  is  not  proud  of  his  business  feels  any 
incentive  to  use  Old  Hampshire  Bond. 

Write  to  us  using  your  present  letterhead:  we  will 
send  free  the  Old  Hampshire  Book  of  Specimens— a 
book  assembled  and  bound  up  to  interest  business  men. 
We  will  also  send  you.  from  time  to  time,  instructive 
matter  from  our  Service  Department. 

HAMPSHIRE    PAPER    COMPANY 
SOUTH     HADLEY     FALLS,     MASS 


Think  of  your  letters  as  you  think  of 
stamps — so  much  each,  not  so  much 
per  thousand.  Each  letter  you  write 
makes  its  individual  impression.  Re- 
member this  when  you  buy  stationery 


Simple,  direct  copy,  easily  read  and  understood 
123 


124 


THE   PRINCIPLES   OF   ADVERTISING 


accept  a  usage  as  correct,  that  is  sufficient,  but  in  no  case  should 
they  be  distracted  by  construction  and  words  that  appear  to 
be  incorrect. 

Correctness  is  also  necessary  to  avoid  offending  the  aesthe- 
tic sense  of  the  average  person.  Even  those  who  have  never 
worn  a  dress  suit  would  be  inclined  to  look  askance  at  a  man 
who  wore  tan  shoes  with  his  swallowtail.  They  would  have 

less  respect  for  a  man  who 
kept  his  hat  on  in  the  house, 
or  did  any  one  of  a  thousand 
other  little  things  that  the 
great  arbiter,  Style,  has 
branded  as  incorrect.  There 
is  never  any  risk  in  writing 
copy  that  conforms  to  all  the 
accepted  principles  of  gram- 
mar and  word  use.  There  is 
danger  in  violating  these 
principles. 

The  third  requisite  for 
economy  of  attention  is  con- 
ciseness. Waste  words  put 
an  unnecessary  tax  upon  the 
reader's  time  and  effort.  In 
view  of  the  fact  that  only  a 
short  time  will  be  given  to 
the  reading  of  any  adver- 
tisement, it  is  obvious  that  the  message  must  be  put  in  the 
fewest  possible  words.  The  advertiser's  own  instinct  of  eco- 
nomy naturally  prompts  him  to  boil  down  the  message.  Here 
his  interests  and  those  of  the  reader  are  identical.  It  should 
be  remembered,  however,  that  clearness  and  correctness  are 
more  important  than  conciseness,  and  that  conciseness  should 
not  be  secured  at  their  expense.  Most  ambiguities  come  from 


Paint  Fine-ness 

House  paint,  to  be 
good,  must  be  smooth 
as  silk  and  opaque  as 
ivory.  Both  qualities 
result  largely  from 
fineness. 

Dutch  Boy  White 
Lead  sifts  through  finest 
silk—  28/.000  micro- 
scopic holes  to  the  inch. 
With  Dutch  Boy  Lin- 
seed Oil  it  makes  the 
smoothest,  most  opaque 
paint. 


Due*  Sty  IT  kilt  LtaJ—vikiu  im 
th.ktf-^vt.l.rt^^aam,!,, 
iimktkmu. 


Dutch  Boy  White  Ltid  in  ttttl  kep,  12Hj  25,  SO  and  100  Ita.     Dutch  Boy 
lin-eed  Oil.  J  and  5  gallon  «led  cawTA*  your  pain,  dealer. 

Let  uj lend  you  "Paintinj  Helpl  1 J,"  full  ol  paint  facu.     Include,  catalog  ol 


NATIONAL  LEAD  COMPANY 


Concise  copy,  well  arranged 


PURPOSE   OF   ADVERTISING   COPY 


125 


the  attempt  to  say  too  much  in  too  few  words.  One  case  in 
point  is  that  of  the  Turkish  bath  proprietor  who  advertised: 
"Ladies'  Department  Separate,  except  on  Sundays  and  holi- 
days." 

Again,  conciseness  is  bad  if  it  results  in  a  vague,  gen- 
eral claim  about  an  article.     However  small  the  space,  room 
must  be  found  to  say  something  specific  and  definite.   Finally, 
conciseness  is  secured  at  too 
great  a  cost  if  it  results  in 
the  mutilation  of  sentences 
or  in  other  violations  of  cor- 
rectness. 


What  do  you  wantr 
to  know  about  Paint/ 


CARTER 

SlrMfy  Pur* 

White  Load 


b,  .  m,xJcm.  Irapro.rf 

Ctrnr  If  lucb  k  ct«l 

nu  nubliibed  •  nfw  I 


r-rar, 


CARTER   WHITE  LEAD 


CO. 


Distinctiveness. — D  i  s  - 
tinctiveness  is  less  easily  ana- 
lyzed, though  it  is  easily  rec- 
ognized. Many  writers  con- 
sider that  it  is  merely  being 
different  from  others.  Fre- 
quently striving  to  be  differ- 
ent results  in  mere  eccentric- 
ity. A  really  distinctive  piece 
of  copy  has  qualities  that  set 
it  apart  from  others,  but 
which  are  at  the  same  time 
appropriate  to  the  subject 
The  slangy  Prince  Albert 
Slangy  advertisements  for 
absurd. 

Advertising  men  mean  this  quality  of  distinctiveness  when 
they  speak  of  copy  with  a  "punch."  Perhaps  the  relationship 
between  this  quality  and  that  of  economy  may  be  made  clear  by 
analogy  with  the  boxing  ring.  Some  boxers  are  scientific ;  they 
pick  their  opening-  carefully  and  deliver  their  blows  where  they 


The  Efficient  Paint 


Verbose  copy,  badly  arranged 

advertisements    are    distinctive. 
Gorham    silverware    would    be 


Christmas 
Grand  Larceny 


The   Ancients    borrowed  from  those 

before  them.     All  authors  borrow  from 

They  steal  each  other's  ideas  as  gypsies  steal  children. 

and   then,  dfefigure   them    to  make  them   pass   as    then- 


It  is  a  fine  art  to  copy  without  plagiarism  and  I 
priate  without  robbery  just  as  in  a  fash 
women  there  is  a  lot  of  hair  present  which  belonged 
beads  of  people  who  did  not  come  in  with  it 


Our    English    factories 

models,  but  the  larceny 
use   in    our    Christmas    Goods    that    it 


World's  Greatest  Leather  Stores 
Agencies  Throughout  the  World 


Distinctiveness  has  been  sought  at  the  expense  of  economy  and  good 
taste.    The  space  is  wastefully  used 


126 


ade  in  La  SeMe,  Ulinotf5^  Westciox 


YOU  awake  in  the 
morning,  snug  and 
comfy,  right  where  you 
are. — He's  standing  by 
your  bedside,  waiting, 
friendly,  eager  to  help: 

"The  morning  tub  makes  win- 
ning men,  there's  time  to  get  it, 
says  Big  Ben." 


Made  inLaSalle, 
Illinois,  byWestclax 


"A  clean-cut  shave  makes  keen 
edged  men,  let's  lather  well,  says 
Big  Ben." 

"A  shorty  brisk  walk  puts  blood 
in  men — let's  walk  partways,  says 
Big  Ben." 

You  try  it  once,  you  try  it  twice — best 
thing  you  know — good  old  Big  Ben  I 

He's  punctual,  he's  loyal,  he's  big  all  over  and  good  all  through. 
Calls  two  ways-five  minutes  straight  or  every  other  half  minute 
during  ten  minutes.  12.50  anywhere  in  the  States,  23.00  any. 
where  in  Canada  "AlaJt  in  La  Sallt,  /Oiiuu.  t,  ff'auM' 


Distinctive  copy  that  has  also  the  quality  of  economy 


127 


128  THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

will  be  most  effective.  That  is  the  safer  way  to  win.  There  are 
other  boxers  of  less  intelligent  technique  who  have  so  much 
power  that  their  blows,  no  matter  where  they  land,  make  them- 
selves felt.  Similarly,  some  advertisements  command  our  at- 
tention because  they  are  properly  directed  to  us;  they  have 
economy  and  "get  across."  Others  command  our  attention  be- 
cause of  the  force  behind  them ;  they  have  the  "punch." 

Because  of  the  value  of  distinctiveness,  there  is  a  tendency 
sometimes  to  sacrifice  the  more  important  quality  of  economy 
for  it.  Distinctiveness  is  always  unsafe  when  secured  at  the  ex- 
pense of  clearness,  correctness,  or  conciseness.  In  general,  it 
cannot  be  secured  by  straining  for  it.  It  is  like  personality,  like 
style,  a  quality  that  develops  out  of  the  writer's  own  character 
and  is  bound  to  show  sooner  or  later.  After  all,  many  of  the 
advertisements  which  are  conspicuous  because  of  their  distinc- 
tiveness, such  as  the  advertisements  of  Prince  Albert,  Com- 
munity silver  and  Big  Ben,  were  also  notable  because  of  their 
economy.  If  an  advertisement  contains  a  real  message,  is  well 
adapted  to  its  reader  and  subject,  and  is  clear,  correct,  and  con- 
cise, there  is  little  need  to  worry  about  distinctiveness.  This 
quality  is  likely  to  be  present,  also;  if  not,  it  will  hardly  be 
missed. 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE  STRUCTURAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

COPY 

Relation  of  Qualities  to  Principles. — As  the  advertisement 
is  built  from  the  standpoint  of  the  reader,  it  has  been  necessary 
to  consider  first  the  qualities  which  copy  should  have,  to  make 
an  effective  impression  on  him.  Knowing  how  to  secure  these 
qualities,  however,  is  another  matter.  The  writer  must  work 
in  accordance  with  some  plan.  There  are  certain  structural 
principles  that  have  been  found  useful  in  creating  copy  that 
will  make  the  desired  impression.  Violation  of  these  princi- 
ples is  almost  certain  to  result  in  obscure,  weak,  and  ineffec- 
tive copy. 

The  structural  principles  used  in  writing  advertising  copy 
are  much  the  same  as  those  used  in  other  kinds  of  writing. 
The  difference  is  largely  in  their  application. 

Unity. — The  oldest  known  principle  of  construction  is 
Unity.  It  was  applied  by  the  Greek  dramatists  and  was  crys- 
tallized into  a  definite  working  principle  by  Aristotle.  It  has 
been  revived  by  the  rhetoricians  of  every  age.  The  scientific 
basis  for  this  principle  lies  in  the  fact  that  within  the  short 
time  during  which  the  writer  may  hold  the  reader  in  his  con- 
trol, he  can  hope  to  drive  home  only  one  main  idea. 

In  the  case  of  an  advertisement  this  principle  is  peculiarly 
vital.  The  length  of  time  the  average  reader  gives  to  an  ad- 
vertisement is  very  short  indeed — 30  seconds  on  the  average 
for  newspaper  advertisements,  according  to  reliable  estimates. 
Yet  even  in  this  time  we  can  impress  one  idea  upon  the  reader, 
if  we  are  content  to  limit  the  advertisement  to  that. 

129 


130  THE    PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

The  first  constructive  task  of  the  writer  then,  is  to  deter- 
mine what  shall  be  the  main  idea — the  theme — of  his  adver- 
tisement. Frequently,  the  same  theme  will  run  throughout 
the  campaign  as  a  keynote.  In  other  instances,  the  theme 
varies  within  the  campaign. 

When  this  main  idea  or  theme  has  been  determined,  the 
writer  should  concentrate  on  it.  He  should  put  in  all  the 
material  necessary  to  explain  or  support  it  and  omit  everything 
that  does  not  help  to  support  it. 

Catalogue  Copy. — The  principle  of  unity  is  easier  to  state 
and  explain  than  it  is  to  apply.  There  is  a  constant  temptation 
to  try  to  do  too  much.  When  the  article  in  question  has  many 
virtues — as  what  has  not  in  the  eyes  of  its  manufacturer? — 
one  often  feels  that  all  these  good  points  should  go  into  the 
copy.  The  result  is  catalogue  copy,  a  mere  enumeration  of 
claims  that  compete  with  one  another  for  a  share  of  the  read- 
er's attention.  The  result  is  that  no  one  of  them  makes  an 
effective  impression. 

The  inferiority  of  catalogue  copy  may  easily  be  seen  by 
comparing  the  two  following  pieces  of  copy  for  the  same 
article. 

The  Dominant  Six — The  greatest  piece  of  machinery 
that  ever  went  upon  the  highways  and  the  most  luxuri- 
ous carriage.  Fastest  get  away;  smoothest  starting  and 
stopping;  power  without  noise;  best  hill-climber;  easiest 
car  to  drive;  safest  investment.  .  .  . 


Why  is  your  family  safest  in  a  Packard? 

Why  is  a  Packard  at  its  best  after  thousands  of  miles  of 

hard  usage  on  the  road? 
Why  will   a   Packard   run   so  long  without  mechanical 

cultivation?    .    .   .    etc. 
Because  Endurance  far  exceeding  requirements  is  the 

standard  to  which  every  Packard  is  built. 


Painted  by  C-  H  T.iff.t.  (Jopyrieht  1913,  by  The  Republic  Rubber  Co. 

PROGRESS 

Our  wonderful  nation  is  an  ever-growing,  ever-progressing 
one.  We  have  planned,  we  have  dug,  we  have  plowed,  we 
have  builded,  we  have  mined,  we  have, made  and  we  have  sold. 
We  have  neither  inherited  our  wealth  nor  have  we  laid  tribute 
upon  weaker  nations.  But  beholdl  We  are  the  richest  of 
them  ail. 


Such  is  progr 
leader  of  nations.' 


-the  spirit  that  has  made  this  nation  the 


Progress  demanded  something  to  replace  "Old  Dobbin," 
•nd  American  .genius  replied  with  the  first  crude  automobile. 
This  evolved  into  the  modern  motor  car,  powerful  and  massive- 
its  very  hugeness  mal.'ing  it  swerve  and  skid,  endangering  life. 
So  Progress  demanded  a  safe-guard.  Game  the  often-inade- 
quate metal  studs,  and  the  first  far-from-satisfactory  rubber 
knobs.  And  Progress  called  once  more. 

Then  was  invented  the  Republic  Staggard  Tre&d  Tire,  the 
tire  that  gave  a  real  protection  against  skidding,  an-all-to-be* 
desired  brake  control,  and  a  much-increased  mileage — truly  The 
Tire  Perfect. 

And  Progress  looked,  and  was  pleased. 

THE    REPUBLIC   RUBBER   CO. 

YOUNGSTOWN.  OHIO 

Republic  Stagrgurd  Tread.  Pat.  Sept.  15-22.  '90S. 


Violation  of  unity  through  use  of  ideas  not  closely  related  to  the  subject 

141 


132  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

Even  though  a  commodity  has  many  virtues  of  excellence, 
there  is  almost  certain  to  be  some  one  that  is  distinctive ;  some 
one  that  competitors  cannot  so  readily  claim.  This  one  point, 
of  course,  should  be  something  of  real  and  apparent  value  to 
the  users  of  the  article,  not  simply  a  manufacturing  superiority. 

The  great  proportion  of  successful  advertising  campaigns 
have  each  been  built  around  a  distinctive  talking  point  of  this 
kind.  Thus,  Pebeco  tooth-paste  continually  hammers  in  the 
fact  that  it  tends  to  neutralize  acid  mouth  and  merely  men- 
tions the  fact  that  it  has  the  other  qualities  a  dentifrice  should 
have.  Valspar  varnish  concentrates  on  the  fact  that  water, 
even  when  boiling,  won't  make  it  turn  white. 

The  Point  of  Contact. — Unity  not  only  requires  concentra- 
tion upon  one  main  idea  or  theme,  but  also  that  the  approach 
to  the  reader  be  from  one  angle  at  a  time.  We  cannot  in  the 
same  breath  talk  about  beauty  and  sanitation,  or  appeal  at  once 
to  pride  and  the  instinct  for  economy.  This  demand  for  unity 
is  violated  in  the  advertisement  for  Hygienic  kalsomine,  which 
begins. 

Its  sanitary  feature  kills  every  germ-like  creature. 
It  beautifies  the  home. 

The  two  appeals  are  incongruous,  and  do  not  help  each  other. 
One  must  be  subordinated  before  the  advertisement  can  be  an 
effective  unit. 

Again  the  point  of  contact  with  the  reader  must  not  be  too 
far  from  the  article  or  there  can  be  no  unity.  When  some  great 
event,  such  as  a  war,  occurs,  it  is  a  temptation  to  begin  the 
advertisement  with  some  reference  to  it  on  the  ground  that 
it  will  probably  attract  attention.  But  it  usually  proves  a 
strain  to  relate  this  beginning  to  the  real  subject  of  the  mes- 
sage —  if  there  is  no  natural  relation  between  the  war  and  the 
article  advertised.  The  advertisement  on  page  131  illustrates 


PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING   COPY 


133 


lack  of  unity  through  the  introduction  of  ideas  that  are  only 
distantly  related  to  the  subject. 

The  Come-Packt  advertisement  on  page  73  is  a  good 
illustration  of  unity.  The  example  on  this  page  also  illus- 
trates the  right  application  of  this  principle. 


That's  the 
button 


Which  you  will 
always   find    on    the    genuine 
Fownes  gloves,  except  our  white 
dress  gloves,  with  pearl  buttons, 
which  may  be  identified  by  the  name 
Fownes  in  the  wrist. 


GLOVES 


are  always  sold  under  their  own 
name.     Whether  the  words  on  the 
re  FS3  or  KNOENS,  or  oSSVKs  the 
famous  "paring  knife"  trade-mark  and 
the  word  Fownes  in  the  wrist  are  assur- 
ance of  glove  value,  the  world  over. 


not  familiar  with  Fownes  quality, 
and  econom 


>f  our  heavy  two  dollar  street  gloves  for  Fall  wear.  If  you  are 
with  Fownes  quality,  you  will  be  surprised  at  the  endurance 
y  ot  these  gloves  and  pleated  with  their  fit,  comfort  and  style. 
If  you  have  difficulty  securing  the  genuine 
r-ownes,  write  us,  giving  the  names  of  the  shops 
visited,  and  we  will  see  that  you  are  supplied 


FOWNES  BROTHERS  &  CO 
119  West  40th  St.,  New  York 


Unified  in  copy  and  unusual  in  display 


Coherence. — The  second  great  principle  of  construction  is 
that  of  Coherence.  It  demands  that  the  material  be  so  ar- 
ranged and  connected  that  the  reader  may  progress  logically 
from  beginning  to  end  without  serious  tax  upon  his  attention. 
There  must  be  no  serious  breaks  or  gaps  in  the  message.  Co- 


134  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

herence  involves  three  things :  logical  order,  right  construction, 
close  connection. 

The  order  in  a  piece  of  copy  is  often  that  of  the  sales  func- 
tions. The  early  part  attracts ;  the  middle  arouses  desire  and 
convinces;  .the  ending  stimulates.  Sometimes,  however,  this 
order  is  changed  for  good  reason.  And  in  the  advertisement 
that  does  not  attempt  to  perform  all  the  sales  functions,  an- 
other order  must  be  used.  The  commonest  are  the  narrative, 
the  descriptive,  and  the  climactic. 

The  narrative  order  takes  facts  in  the  order  of  their  hap- 
pening. An  article  may  be  shown  to  be  good  by  giving  the 
history  of  inventions  leading  up  to  it,  or  the  history  of  the 
company  itself.  It  may  give  in  order  the  processes  of  making 
it  or  the  steps  taken  in  using  it.  It  closely  resembles  the  proc- 
ess of  induction  considered  in  the  next  chapter. 

The  descriptive  order  gives  the  main  point  which  sums 
up  the  distinctive  qualities  of  the  article  and  follows  this  with 
the  details  that  support  the  main  assertion.  It  corresponds 
closely  with  the  deductive  method  explained  in  the  next 
chapter. 

The  climactic  order  simply  takes  the  various  ideas  and  ar- 
ranges them  in  order  of  their  importance.  Often  we  have  a 
series  of  questions,  to  be  answered  by  one  main  statement ;  or  a 
series  of  reasons  for  a  treatment  already  made.  The  climactic 
order  is  useful  here. 

Whatever  the  order  chosen,  it  must  be  maintained  through- 
out. There  can  be  no  haphazard  drifting  and  shifting  from 
one  idea  to  another.  In  the  advertisement  "A  Giant  is  Awak- 
ing" (page  136),  we  have  a  metaphorical  statement  that  ap- 
peals to  our  imagination,  followed  by  a  collection  of  dry-as- 
dust  figures  and  another  passage  of  inspiration.  The  mind 
cannot  adjust  to  these  changes  readily.  The  order  would  be 
improved  by  putting  the  statistics  down  toward  the  end  of 
the  text. 


The  Winged  Message 


Noah's  messenger  was  a  dove.  In 
Solomon's  time,  pigeons  were  trained 
to  carry  messages.  Brutus  used  them 
at  the  siege  of  Modena.  They  served 
the  Turks  in  their  fights  against  the 
Crusaders.  In  mediaeval  wars  they 
were  more  useful  than  ever  before. 

France  had  a  carrier-pigeon  mail 
service,  with  messages  reduced  by 
photography  and  read  through  a 
microscope. 

Even  today  carrier  pigeons  are 
utilized  as  news-bearers  in  isolated 
parts  of  Europe. 


In  America,  the  land  of  the  tele- 
phone, the  carrier  pigeon  is  bred  only 
for  racing.  The  winged  word  has 
taken  the  place  of  the  winged  mes- 
senger. 

Pigeons  may  fly  more  than  a  mile 
a  minute,  but  the  telephone  is  as 
quick  as  speech  itself. 

The  dove  is  the  emblem  of  peace. 
The  telephone  is  the  instrument  of 
peace.  The  telephone  lines  of  the 
Bell  System  unite  a  hundred  million 
people  in  one  national  family. 


AMERICAN  TELEPHONE  AND  TELEGRAPH  COMPANY 
AND  ASSOCIATED   COMPANIES 

One  Policy  One  System  Universal  Service 

Publicity  copy  of  distinctive  kind  illustrating  the  use  of  the  narrative 

order 

135 


A  Giant  is 
Awaking 


Massachusetts  8266  square  miles,  population, 
3.336.416.  Estimated  property  value.  $4.956.578.913. 

Montana,  146.080  square  miles,  population, 
376,053,  Estimated  property  value,  .$746.311.213. 

Why  has  Massachusetts  this  advantage  ? 

Because  population  makes  land  values 

'From  1900  to  1910  the  population  of  the  United  States  increased  21  per  cent.  The  population 
of  'the  Great  Northwest,  including  North  and  South  Dakota,  Montana,  Wyoming,  Idaho, 
Washington  and  Oregon,  jumped  71  per  cent%  It  is  the  fastest  growing  section  of  the  entire 
United  States.  Why  ?  Because  here  is  everything  that  makes  for  solid,  substantial  wealth  — 
timber,  minerals,  water  power,  •  irrigable  lands,  stock  raising,  unsurpassed  farming 
facilities  and  three  transcontinental  railroads. 

Settlers  are  now  flowing  into  this  Northwest  country  in  thousands.  Cities  are  springing 
Upas  by  magic.  :  With  the  opening  of  the  Panama  Canal,  Northwest  populations  will  increase 
in  leaps  and  bounds.  We.  have  seen  this  time  coming  for  several  years.  We  have  bought 
outright  the  choicest  building  lots  in  the  most  vigorous  and  logical  of  Northwest  young  cities. 

Here  is  the  Northwest  Townsite  proposition  to  you: 

We  are  offering  building  lots  in  five  of  these  cities,  located  in  three  different  states,  on  the 
most  practical  real  estate  investment  plan  ever  devised.  Maybe  all,  possibly  two  or  three,  at 
least  one,  of  thgse  five  cities  is  destined  to  develop  into  a  Denver,  a  Seattle,  a  Portland,  Ore. 
These  are  the"  five  cities  in  this  offer:  Bend,  Ore.;  Roundup,  Mont.;  Redmond,  Ore.; 
Vale,  Ore.;  Lemmon,  on  the  border  line  between  South  and  North  Dakota. 

In  each  of  t 

first 

for  t 

Should  the  purchaser  die  before  the  whole  sum  Is  plid.'  but  aftar  paying  $250.  we  will  deliver  deeds  to  all 
five  lots  to  bis  or  her  heirs  or  assigns  free,  from  further  payments. 

5  lots  in  S  cities  in  3  states,  $500 

In  considering  this  opportunity,  remember  the  histories  of  Denver,  Spokane,  Seattle,  Portland,  Omaha.  They  once  were  raw 
frontier  towns,  now  they  stand  for  millions  on  millions  of  dollars.  The  facts  about  this  land  are  astounding. 
You  should  read  the  fact*.  Fill  in  the  coupon  below  or  write  us  a  personal  letter  for  full  particulars.  This  kind  of 
opportunity  comes  bat  once  in  a  generation.  Don't  wait.  "Write  at  once  for  our  book. 

The  Northwest  Townsite  Co.,  320  Chestnut  St.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


.  ,  . 

each  of  these  cities  we  have  at  present  170  building  lot*.  We  will  tell—  first  come. 
t  served  -one  lot  in  each  of  these  five  citiet  in  these  three  state*  for  $500—$SOO 
the  entire  five  lots—  payable  in  installments  and  free  from  taxes  until  paid  for. 


Wm  Print  this  Coupon  for  Yoar  Convenience 

NORTHWEST  TOWNSITE  CO., 
Prv'ailrlphia,  Pa.                      Parr        _     ._ 

Name 

Nn                          Street 

Please  register  this  inquiry  and  send  me  at  once  full  particulars 
about  the  five  towns  mentioned  In  your  advertisement  in   Every- 
.  body's  for  April,  1913,  and  your  plan  for  investment.   It  is  under- 
stood that  this  request  involves  no  obligation  of  any  kind  on  my  part. 

Pminty                                              Stare 

P    0 

Incoherent  copy 
136 


PRINCIPLES   OF   ADVERTISING   COPY  137 

Coherence  is  further  aided  by  keeping  one  point  of  view 
and  one  form  of  construction.  The  mind  works  according  to 
habit  and  after  it  has  moved  once  or  twice  in  a  certain  groove, 
it  moves  more  easily  in  that  groove  than  in  some  other.  A 
question  followed  by  another  question  is  more  coherent  than  a 
question  followed  by  an  assertion.  It  is  for  the  sake  of  co- 
herence that  we  find  so  many  advertisements  that  contain  only 
a  string  of  "becauses."  Too  many  sentences  and  paragraphs 
of  the  same  construction  become  monotonous  and  therefore 
ineffective ;  three  or  four  can  be  safely  used. 

So  great  similarity  of  construction  is  not  essential.  It  is 
advisable,  however,  to  keep  the  same  subject  throughout.  If 
"you"  (the  reader)  is  the  subject  at  the  start,  "you"  should 
remain  the  subject  until  the  end.  Similarly  an  advertisement 
that  begins  in  the  first  person  should  keep  the  first  person  until 
there  is  some  logical  reason  for  a  change. 

The  final  aid  to  coherence  is  the  use  of  good  connectives. 
Even  when  ideas  are  arranged  in  logical  order  and  constructed 
similarly,  there  is  need  of  connectives  to  bridge  the  small  gaps 
between  them.  These  connectives  are  of  four  kinds: 

1.  Numerical;  as  first,  second,  etc.    This  type  is  sometimes 
useful,  but  has  a  mechanical  effect  and  deadens  interest. 

2.  Conjunctives;  as  and,  but,  however,  nevertheless,  etc. 
These  are  most  commonly  used.   The  looser  conjunctions,  and 
and  but,  should  be  avoided  as  far  as  possible  and  more  exact 
connectives  employed  in  their  stead. 

3.  Demonstratives;  as  this  and  that. 

4.  Repetitions  of   words.      This  last  method  should  be 
more  widely  used.     It  is  least  mechanical  and  most  emphatic. 
The  following  example  illustrates  its  effectiveness: 

The  story  of  every  child  is  a  story  of  growth  and  change — 
A  change  too  gradual  and  subtle  for  even  the  watchful  eye 
pf  a  mother  to  detect,  or  for  memory  to  recall. 


Can  you  afford  it? 


you  afford  to  spend  time 
and  energy  on  home-made 
soup  when  you  can  buy  Campbell's? 

Can  you  afford  to  have  the 
maid  fuss  and  simmer  and  stew 
over  it  and  nurse  a  chronic  grouch? 

Can  you  afford  delay  or  uncer- 
tainty at  the  dinner  hour;  when 
you  might  be  sure  of  the  right 
'soup  rightly  made  and  right  on 
the  minute?  If  'you  can  afford  to 
keep  house  without  Campbell's 
Soups>  you  must  be  mighty  rich 
in  time  and  patience. 


Aspir»gu> 

Beef 

Bouillon 

Celer, 

Chicken 


Clam  Chowdei 
Consomme 
Julienne 
Mock  Turtle 
Mulligatawny 


Chicken-Guraoo       Mutton  Broth 

(Okra;    Ox  Tail 
Clam  Bouillon 


Pea 

Pepper  Pot 

Printanier 

Tomato 

Tomato-Okra 

Vegetable 

Vermicelli-Toman, 


Look  for  the  rcd-and- white  label 


Coherence  through  the  use  of  parallelism.     Display  seriously  weakened 
by  distracting  border 

138 


PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING    COPY  139 

Only  in  pictures  can  the  story  be  told,  and  a  record  of  the 
childish  features  and  expressions  kept  for  all  time. 

A  good  photograph  now  and  then,  will  mean  everything  to 
you — and  to  your  children,  in  after  years. 

Emphasis. —  The  final  constructive  principle  is  that  o?~ 
Emphasis.  It  demands  that  the  most  important  ideas  be  given 
greatest  prominence.  In  advertising,  this  commonly  results 
in  the  use  of  display  type  or  other  mechanical  means  to  make 
the  important  ideas  stand  out  boldly.  Even  single  words  are 
put  in  bold  face  style  or  italics  or  are  underlined  to  emphasize 
them.  But  the  possibility  of  these  methods  of  emphasis  should 
not  cause  us  to  neglect  the  methods  that  are  part  of  the  work 
of  construction. 

Three  elements  at  the  most  can  be  emphasized  by  display. 
Each  paragraph  of  the  text — yes,  each  sentence — has  its  im- 
portant idea.  Emphasis  requires  that  these  important  ideas 
be  given  most  space  and  the  most  prominent  position — that 
is,  the  beginning  or  end.  So  in  the  copy  as  a  whole,  regardless 
of  display,  the  important  ideas  should  have  most  space  (meas- 
ured in  terms  of  words,  not  merely  inches  or  agate  lines)  and 
the  best  positions. 

It  may  safely  be  said  that  the  beginning  of  an  advertise- 
ment should  contain  an  idea  that  is  most  important  to  the 
reader.  That  is  one  reason  why  the  name  or  slogan  of  the 
advertiser  should  rarely  appear  there.  The  ending  may  con- 
tain the  idea  that  is  of  the  most  importance  to  the  advertiser — 
which  is  usually  the  stimulus  to  action,  together  with  the 
advertiser's  address. 

Proportion  is  largely  a  matter  of  judgment.  The  most 
frequent  violation  of  it  is  in  giving  undue  space  to  attacks  on 
the  advertiser's  competitors  or  other  ideas  that  are  at  best 
negative  in  value. 

To  sum  up,  then,  the  copy  in  an  advertisement  should  per- 
form as  much  of  the  sales  appeal  as  is  consistent  with  the 


Victor  Record 
of  "Celeste  Aida" 
sune  by  Carty  a 


Cart 

M  Rbadamc 

iu  Aida 


Victor 


Both  are  Caruso 

The  Victor  Record  of  Caruso's  voice 
is  just  as  truly  Caruso  as  Caruso  him- 
self. 

It  actually^  Caruso — his /own  mag- 
nificent voice,  with  all  the  wonderful 
power  and  beauty  of  tone  that  make 
him  the  greatest  of  all  tenors. 

Every  one  of  the  hundred  and  twenty 
Caruso  records  brings  you  not  only  his 
art,  but  his  personality.  When  you  hear 
Caruso  on  the  Victrola  in  your  own  home, 
you  hear  him  just  as  truly  as  if  you  were 
listening  to  him  in  the  Metropolitan 
Opera.  House. 

The  proof  is  in  the  hearing.  Any  Victor 
dealer  in  any  city  in  the  world  will 
gladly  play  for  you  Victor  Records 
by  Caruso  or  any  other  of  the  world's 
greatest  artists.  There  are  Victors 
and  Victrolas  in  great  variety  of  styles 
from  $10  to  $200. 

Always  use  Victor  Machines  with  Victor  Records  and  Victor  Needles- 
the  combination.    There  is  no  other  way  to  get  the  unequaled  Victor  tone. 

Victor  Talking  Machine  Co.,  Camden,  N.  J.,  U.  S.  A. 

Berliner  Gramoohone  Co..  Montreal.  Canadian  Distributors 


bite 


Well-unified,  coherent,  and  emphatic  copy 
140 


PRINCIPLES   OF   ADVERTISING   COPY  I4i 

complete  sales  plan  and  the  nature  of  the  campaign.  It  should 
be  unified;  that  is,  concentrated  upon  one  main  idea,  with  all 
non-essentials  omitted.  It  should  be  coherent;  that  is,  ar- 
ranged in  logical  order,  and  so  constructed  and  connected  that 
the  reader  will  read  uninterruptedly  from  beginning  to  eri_d. 
It  should  be  emphatic;  that  is,  the  beginning  and  end  should 
contain  the  most  important  ideas  and  all  the  ideas  should  be 
given  space  commensurate  with  their  importance. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

REASON-WHY  COPY 

Nature  and  Value  of  Reason- Why  Appeals. — Reason-why 
(long-circuit)  copy  makes  its  chief  appeal  to  the  reason  rather 
than  to  the  senses  or  emotions.  Its  chief  attempt  is  to  per- 
suade or  convince,  and  such  desire  as  it  arouses  is  largely  intel- 
lectual. It  corresponds  closely  to  the  forms  of  literary  com- 
position called  exposition  and  argument,  whereas  human-in- 
terest copy  corresponds  more  nearly  to  description  and  narra- 
tion. 

Reason-why  copy  has  a  larger  field  of  usefulness  than 
human-interest  Competitive  conditions  are  such  that  it  is 
often  not  enough  for  the  advertiser  to  create  a  desire  for  his 
type  of  product.  The  response  he  needs  is  a  deliberate  choice 
of  his  particular  product. 

The  distinction  between  two  closely  similar  articles  is  often 
one  that  can  be  perceived  by  the  mind  only.  The  pleasures  of 
riding  in  an  automobile  are  much  the  same  in  kind,  but  no  two 
makes  of  cars  are  precisely  alike.  The  price,  appearance, 
power,  cost  of  up-keep,  and  many  other  considerations  lead  to 
a  man's  choice  of  a  particular  make  among  the  many  on  the 
market. 

Narrowing  the  Choice. — Since  the  important  part  of  the 
work  of  reason-why  copy  is  to  make  the  reader  choose  the 
advertised  article  in  preference  to  a  competitor's  article,  it 
might  be  thought  that  the  end  can  be  reached  by  the  elimina- 
tion of  the  alternatives.  The  danger  of  attacks  on  competitors 
is  that  they  often  weaken  confidence  in  the  class  as  a  whole. 
They  make  the  reader  think  that  he  may  be  defrauded  in  his 

142 


REASON-WHY    COPY 


143 


purchase  and  perhaps  he  had 
better  get  along  without  the  ar- 
ticle or  any  similar  article. 
Moreover,  copy  attacking  conv 
petitors  is  likely  to  violate  the 
principles  of  emphasis,  which 
demands  that  stress  be  laid 
upon  the  things  that  are  impor- 
tant. A  positive  appeal  is  al- 
most always  more  important 
than  a  negative  warning. 

Attacks  on  competitors  may 
sometimes  be  used  in  the  case 
of  a  type  of  article  that  is  well 
established  and  habitually 
bought.  Even  here  it  is  bad 
unless  the  elimination  of  alter- 
natives leads  to  acceptance  of 
the  article  advertised.  If  there 
are  only  two  roads  a  man  may 
follow,  it  is  just  as  useful  to 
warn  him  away  from  the 
wrong  one  as  to  direct  him  to 
the  right  one.  It  is  possible  to 
attack  the  habit  of  drinking 
coffee  if  the  avoidance  of  coffee 
leads  to  the  substitute  of  "Post- 
urn."  When  several  new  coffee 
substitutes  have  entered  the 
field,  this  appeal  may  no  longer 
be  effective  and  any  new  coffee 
substitute  would  probably  do 
well  to  lay  most  stress  upon  the 
positive  benefits. 


Drops  of  Prevention 

Ward  off  disease  by  dropping  a  little 
Lysol  in  water  used  in  washing,  wher- 
ever there  is  the  slightest  danger  of 
germs  o.r.  infection. 

Lysol  should  be  used  regularly  in 
your  household,  as  it  is  in  practically 
every  hospital  in  the  country.  Disease 
can  scarcely  enter  a  house  guarded 
by  the  physician's  favorite  Antiseptic, 
Disinfectant  and  Germicide  — 


Lysol  is  the  standard  antiseptic  in 
maternity  .cases  and  is  therefore  safest 
for  every  day  use.  Five  times  more 
powerful  as  an  antiseptic  than  carbolic 
acid ;  better  in  every  way  than  danger- 
ous bichloride  of  mercury  tablets. 

It  is  the  ideal  disinfectant  for  house- 
hold and  personal  hygiene. 

A  small  bottle  lasts  for  months  and 
is  practical  insurance  against  heavy 
A  medical  bills,  loss  of  health,  and  worse., 
A  Three  Sizes,  25c,  SOc,  $1.00 

jj^  Sold  by  Draggittf  Everywhere 

Hi          IMPORTANT— Be  sure  you  get  Lysol 

itself.    It  is  put  up  in  round  bottles  with 
^^       the  signature  of  Lehn  &  Fink  on  the  label. 

Lysol  js  safe  and  will  safeguard  you;  the 

imitations  may  not. 

Helpful  Booklet,  "Home  Hygiene,"  Mailed  FREE 
Send  your  name  and  address 'for  the  Lysol  book- 
let.  It  is  full  of  practical  helps  for  preserving  health. 
Address 
Lehn  &  Fink, M*SM£n«120  William  St.,  NewTotk 


Subordination  of  the  "substitute" 
appeal 


144  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

Similar  principles  apply  to  so-called  "substitute"  copy 
where  the  advertiser  warns  the  reader  against  imitations  of 
his  product.  The  buying  habit  must  be  strong  before  a  warn- 
ing against  substitutes  can  be  effective.  In  the  case  of  an 
article  bought  but  seldom,  it  is  more  profitable  to  show  the 
need  and  to  show  that  the  article  fills  the  need,  than  to  con- 
centrate upon  the  warning  against  imitations. 

It  is  often  helpful  to  narrow  the  choice  to  several  types  of 
articles  sold  by  the  advertiser.  The  personal  salesman  of 
books  frequently  gets  the  prospect  to  show  a  preference  for 
one  of  several  bindings,  before  the  prospect  has  indicated  any 
decision  as  to  whether  he  will  buy  the  book  at  all.  In- 
deed, he  has  made  no  decision,  but  by  fixing  his  mind  on  the 
choice  between  different  bindings  he  leaps  over  the  other  de- 
cision. Without  knowing  it,  he  has  decided  to  buy  the  article. 

Many  other  cases  might  be  cited  where  the  reason-why 
copy  apparently  does  not  ask  the  reader  to  choose  the  type  of 
article,  but  rather  to  choose  between  two  or  three  forms  of 
the  same  type — between  shaving  soap  in  the  form  of  stick, 
powder,  or  cream;  between  tires'  with  plain,  all-weather,  or 
non-skid  treads. 

Evidence  of  Tests. — All  reason-why  copy  should  be  based 
upon  evidence,  either  stated  or  implied — preferably  stated. 
Evidence  is  of  three  main  types: 

1 .  Tests  and  guarantees. 

2 .  Testimony. 

3 .  Facts  and  figures. 

The  best  kind  of  evidence  is  that  which  the  reader  him- 
self supplies  from  his  own  experience  and  knowledge.  Of 
almost  equal  value  are  tests  that  he  can  make  himself,  such  as 
the  litmus  paper  test  for  acid  mouth  in  the  case  of  Pebeco 
and  the  blow-pipe  test  on  white  lead  in  the  case  of  the  National 
Lead  Company's  product.  Even  though  the  reader  does  not 
actually  make  the  test,  the  advertiser's  willingness  to  have  him 


REASON-WHY   COPY  145 

make  it  gives  him  confidence  in  the  article.  The  same  thing 
is  true  of  approval  and  money-back  offers  or  hard-and-fast 
guarantees  played  up  in  the  copy. 

Testimony. — Testimony,  the  second  class  of  evidence,  con- 
sists of  the  statements  of  those  who  have  used  the  article  and 
are  in  a  position  to  speak  of  its  merits.  This  type  of  evidence 
has  lost  much  of  its  force  for  thinking  people,  because  of  the 
fact  that  it  has  been  used  in  connection  with  medical  advertis- 
ing of  doubtful  character  and  because  testimonials  are  fre- 
quently given  by  people  who  have  not  used  the  article  and  are 
only  trying  to  gain  a  little  notoriety.  The  intrinsic  value  of 
the  testimony  that  purports  to  come  from  actresses,  baseball 
players,  and  people  prominent  in  the  amusement  world,  is  al- 
most negligible.  Such  testimonials  may  have  weight,  but  it 
is  by  their  appeal  to  the  emotion,  rather  than  by  their  appeal 
to  the  reason. 

The  only  kind  of  testimony  that  is  really  valuable  in  a 
strictly  reason-why  appeal  is  that  which  comes  from  people 
of  unquestioned  reputation  for  integrity,  who  are  qualified  to 
speak  with  authority.  The  testimony  of  architects  and 
builders  as  to  a  certain  type  of  furnace  may  do  much  to  create 
confidence.  It  is  best,  of  course,  when  the  author  of  the  testi- 
monial is  known  personally  or  by  reputation  to  a  large  per- 
centage of  prospective  buyers. 

Records  and  Statistics. — The  third  kind  of  evidence  is  in 
the  form  of  well-authenticated  records  and  statistics  that  may 
show  the  performance  of  the  article  under  given  conditions, 
the  volume  of  sales  for  a  given  period,  or  the  like.  In  adver- 
tising technical  products,  evidence  of  this  form  is  particularly 
strong.  Its  lack  of  intrinsic  interest,  however,  makes  it  less 
useful  in  general  advertising  and  in  advertising  to  women. 

Whenever  used  such  evidence  should  be  absolutely  specific. 


The  Significance  of  Performance 


When  116  cars  of  the  same  make  run  100 
miles  all  the  way  on  low  gear — under  all  con- 
ditions of  weather,  including  high  tempera- 
tures, at  lofty  altitudes,  over  rough  roads — 

(116  stock^Franklin  sixes,  in  116  different  sections,  performed 
this  feat  on  September  24,  1914,  without  stopping,  without 

rial  lubrication,  attachments  or  adjustments  of  any  kind, 
onslrating  the  absolute  superiority  of  Franklin  direct- 
air-coojing.) 

When  94  cars  of  the  same  make  average 
32.8  miles  each  on  one  gallon  of  gasoline, 
under  all  sorts  of  road  and  weather  condi- 
tions   (94  slock  Franklin  sixes  in  94  different  parts  of  the  country 

did  this  in  the  National  Economy  test  of  May  1,  1914.  i!y 
sworn  records,  one  car  ran  51  miles  on  one  gallon,  and  the 
lowest  record  of  the  94  was  17  miles,  made  through  mud.) 

When,  owners  of  cars  of  this  same  make 
show  an  average  life  per  set  of  tires  of  more 
than  8000  miles  in  ordinary,  every-day  use— 

(Actual  records  of  Franklin  owners  covering  a  period  offoui 
years  show  an  average  mileage  of  8996  per  set  of  tires.) 


When  scientific  tests  show  that  of  the 
power  developed  by  the  engine  of  this  car 
84.4%  is  transformed  into  motion  and  only 
15.6  taken  up  by  friction — 

(This  test  uvs  made  by  mechanical  engineers  at  the  Worcester 
Polytechnic  Institute.  There  are  six  main  points  in  a  car 
where  friction  reduces  power.  Most  cars  lose  more  than  15% 
in  the  friction  of  the  tires  on  the  road  alone.  The  Frankli* 
delivers  all  but  15.6  of  the  power  developed.) 

When  the  experience  of  owners  of  this 
same  car  shows  from  400  to  900  miles  per 
gallon  of  lubricating  oil — 

(Even  in  the  low  gear  run,  under  extreme  and  abnormal  con- 
ditions,  the  average  consumption  for  100  miles  by  116  ca.-s 
was  only  1.2  gallons.  The  average  work  done  by  the  engine 
•teas  equivalent  to  336  miles  at  a  speed  of  42  miles  per  hour  ) 

When  five  Such  feats — any  one  of  them 
remarkable  in  itself — are  all  performed  by 
the  same  car,  the  significance  of  the  per- 
formance to  you,  as  a  car  buyer,  is  this: 


The  Franklin  is  an  all-round  car— proved  at  every  point— 
power,  efficiency,  economy,  etc. 


The  Franklin  is  presented  to  you  on  its  performance —  not  on  asser- 
tion or  description  — but  on  performance. 

And  the  whole  record  goes  back  to  the  fundamental  principles  on 
which  the  Franklin  organization  has  been  at  work  forthirteen  years — scien- 
tific light  weight  built  around  the  direct- 
air-cooled  engine.   The  basic  advantages 
of  direct-air-cooling  are:    (1)  nothing  to 
overheat  in  the  hardest  running,  (2)  noth- 
ing to  freeze  in  winter,  (3)  the  elimination 
of  more  than  100  unnecessary  parts,  (4} 
sheer  engine  efficiency  and  power. 

Light  Weight 

With  no  water,  pump,  radiator,  pip- 
ing, etc.,  weight  is  greatly  reduced,  not       TI,. F™«.V. si^ma,. r 
only  in  the  engine  but  in  the  supporting        l^a^"su"n'al^r'^Spi^"ur"c 
parts  as  well.  This  brings  economy  in  ust 

of  fuel  and  in  wear  on  tires.  Combined  with  this  light  weight  is  flexibil- 
ity—resilient instead  of  jarring — which  is  not  only  the  secret  of  riding 
comfort  but  also  plays  its  part  in  economy  by  reducing  road  shocks. 


There  is  only  one  Franklin  chassis.    But  there  are  five  styles  of  body 
including  three  enclosed  types.     Direct-air-cooling  makes  it  practicable 
to  run  the  Franklin,  even  in  the  coldest  winter  or  the  hottest  summer 
weather,  without  the  slightest  cooling  trouble.    The  enclosed  Franklin 
cars  therefore,  with  their  double  ventilation  control, 
are  particularly  adapted  for  all-year-round  use.   In 
every  particular  of  power,  economy  and  efficiency 
they  are  identical  with  the  open  cars.    The  ap- 
pointments are  complete  and  designed  for  the 
discriminating. 

Style  and  Comfort 

The  style  and  comfort  of  the  Franklin  can  be 
demonstrated  by  performance  quite  as  well  as  the 
"mechanical  efficiency  and  economy.    Simply  ask 
the  dealer  in  your  city  to  show  you  the  car.  Then 
ask  him  to  take  you  out  on  the  roughest  roads  in 
your  neighborhood.  Then  turn  back  once  more  to  the  written  record  of 
efficiency,  power  and  economy     You  will  appreciate  then  that  the  sum 
total  of  the  ftrformjiicts  of  tins  car  lus  an  important  ugiiifcMCt  for  you, 


Send  for  booklet  giving  details 
of  100-mile  low  eear  demon- 
stration, and  folder  explaining 
the  direct-air-cooline  and  the 
water-cooline  systems. 

(All  prices  f.  o  b.  Syracuse 
New  York.) 

Franklin  Automobile  Co. 
Syr«u.«.  N.  Y 


Reason-why  copy  based  on  the  evidence  of  records 


146 


REASON-WHY    COPY  !47 

Instead  of  saying  that  one  large  company  has  the  roofs  of 
its  buildings  covered  by  our  roofing,  it  would  be  better  to  say. 
"The  Bush  Terminal  Company  has  3,100,000  square  feet  (70 
acres)  of  our  roofing."  Sometimes  facts  and  figures  can  be 
given  interest,  not  only  by  being  concrete,  but  by  being  ex-- 
pressed in  terms  of  action.  A  cross-country  endurance  trip 
of  an  automobile  might  have  something  of  more  interest  than 
miles  covered,  number  of  gallons  of  gasoline  consumed,  and 
cost  of  repairs.  It  might  show  how  the  car  plunged  through 
mud  up  to  the  hubs,  crossed  wastes  of  desert  sand,  and  crept 
along  the  edge  of  towering  cliffs  until  it  reached  its  destina- 
tion. This  method  is  to  be  used  with  some  caution.  If  the  ad- 
vertisement is  simply  trying  to  convince  a  few  interested  per- 
sons, it  is  usually  better  to  stick  to  the  conservative  tabulation 
of  figures. 

Deductive  Reasoning. —  Before  the  writer  can  actually 
begin  the  work  of  constructing  a  piece  of  reason- why  copy, 
he  should  carefully  analyze  the  proposition.  He  should  pick 
out  the  talking  points  and  the  facts  that  ought  to  be  most  ef- 
fective with  his  prospective  buyers.  When  he  has  sifted  them 
down  to  the  few  that  can  be  placed  in  a  single  piece  of  copy  he 
is  ready  for  the  presentation  of  the  argument.  The  two  main 
orders  of  presentation  are  the  deductive  and  the  inductive. 

The  deductive  order  gives  the  main  claim  or  assertion  first 
and  then  backs  it  up  with  explanation,  logical  reasoning,  and 
evidence.  "A  Marvel  of  Simplicity,"  says  the  Fiat  Car,  and 
then  gives  the  details  of  construction  which  prove  its  sim- 
plicity. "Insures  Light  in  Emergency,"  "Cuts  Tire  Cost  in 
Half,"  "Three  Lamps  for  the  Price  of  One."  These  are  ex- 
amples of  head-lines  that  indicate  a  deductive  appeal. 

The  deductive  order  is  useful  when  the  general  appeal  is 
one  that  is  close  to  the  reader's  interests  and  capable  of  being 
presented  in  an  attractive  way.  It  has  publicity  value  in  that 


BARRETT  SPECIFICATION  ROOFS 

No  Maintenance  Cost 

An  investigation  into  net  roofing  costs  will  promptly 
disclose  the  superiority  of  Barrett  Specification  Roofs. 
Their  first  cost  is  lower  than  that  of  any  other  permanent 
roof,  and,  as  they  require  no  painting  or  other  care  for 
upwards  of  twenty  years,  their  maintenance  cost  is  nil. 

The  Bush  Terminal  Company,  with  a  total  roof  area 
of  more  than  70  acres  (3,100,000  square  feet)  on  their  181 
buildings  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  illustrated  below,  studied 
the  subject  of  roofing  costs,  and  adopted  this  type  of  roofs. 
The  Vice-President  of  the  Bush  Terminal  Company 
writes : 

"We  use  this  kind  of  roofing  because  our  expe- 
rience has  shown  it  to  be  the  best  and  cheapest. 
Our  analysis  of  first  cost  of  application  and  cost 
of  maintenance  entitles  us  to  speak  with  some 
measure  of  authority." 

The  roofing  contractor  states  that  the  expense  for 
maintenance  of  this  entire  roof  area  has  been  less  than 
$10  and  estimates  that  if  metal  or  ready-made  roofings 
had  been  used  it  would  have  been  impossible  to  keep  the 
buildings  free  from  leaks,  and  that  the  painting  bills 
alone  up  to  date  would  probably  have  amounted  to  at 
least  $50,000. 

It  is  on  such  evidence  as  this  that  we  base  the  state- 
ment that  the  maintenance  cost  of  Barrett  Specification 
Roofs  is  nothing  per  year — and  the  $10  exception  "proves 
the  rule." 

A  copy  of  The  Barrett  Specification  free  on  request. 
Address  our  nearest  office. 


Deductive  reason-why  copy 
148 


BARRETT  SPECIFICATION  ROOFS 

A  $10  repair  bill  on  70  acres  of  roof 
over  a  16  year  period 

The  Bush  Terminal  Buildings  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  ex- 
tend a  mile  along  the  shore. 

The  net  roof  area  of  these  buildings  is  3, 100,000  ^square 
feet — or  more  than  70  acres. 

Every  inch  of  this  is  roofed  with  Barrett  materials — 
and,  since  1897,  when  the  first  roof  was  covered,  the  cost 
of  maintenance  has  been  less  than  $10.00. 

The  Bush  Terminal  people  write  us : 

"We  use  this  kind  of  roofing  because  our 
experience  has  shown  it  to  be  the  best  and 
cheapest.  Our  analysis  of  first  cost  of  applica- 
tion and  cost  of  maintenance  entitles  us  to  speak 
with  some  measure  of  authority." 

The  idea  behind  Barrett  Specification  Roofs  is  an  old 
one,  established  by  years  of  experience — namely,  that 
coal  tar  pitch,  tarred  felt,  and  gravel  or  slag,  when  prop- 
erly laid,  make  the  best  and  most  economical  roof 
covering. 

Architects,  engineers  and  contractors  know  that,  if 
The  Barrett  Specification  is  followed  absolutely,  the 
resulting  roof  will  last  longer  and  cost  less  than  any  other 
kind. 


Copy  of  The  Barrett  Specification  with  tracing  ready  for 

incorporation  in  your  building  plans  sent  free 

on  request.   Address  our  nearest  office. 

BARRETT  MANUFACTURING  COMPANY 


Inductive  reason-why  copy 
149 


I5o  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

even  the  reader  who  gives  it  only  a  casual  glance  is  likely  to 
get  the  association  between  need  and  commodity,  even  though 
the  remainder  of  the  advertisement  is  not  read. 

The  danger  of  the  deductive  order  is  the  danger  of  indulg- 
ing in  generalities  that  fail  to  arouse  interest.  There  is  a 
further  danger  in  that  writers  are  likely  to  follow  the  general 
assertion  with  a  mere  list  of  "becauses,"  disconnected  and 
monotonous.  A  list  of  reasons  to  support  a  general  assertion 
is  usually  a  weak  method.  If  it  is  used,  the  word  "because" 
should  not  be  tacked  on  at  the  beginning  of  each  reason,  for 
the  word  is  not  deserving  of  this  emphasis. 

The  deductive  appeal,  however,  is  usually  good  for  news- 
paper copy  and  for  copy  in  other  publications  reaching  varied 
classes  of  readers. 

Inductive  Appeal. — The  inductive  appeal  begins  with  a 
concrete  fact  or  bit  of  evidence  and  from  this  reasons  to  the 
general  assertion  or  conclusion.  The  concrete  fact  may  be  a 
big  one — one  that  almost  implies  a  conclusion.  A  good  in- 
stance of  this  is  the  Reo  advertisement  which  reads:  "$200 
Buried."  It  begins  with  this  concrete  statement  and  then 
shows  how  the  buyer  benefits  by  this  extra  $200  spent  on 
details  of  construction  that  are  not  apparent  to  the  eye.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  concrete  fact  may  be  a  small  one,  as  "There 
is  no  gear  lever  in  the  new  Haynes  Car,"  or,  "Our  average 
profit  is  $2.90  per  tire."  It  may  simply  be  a  suggestion  of  the 
particular  piece  of  evidence,  as  "Cambridge's  Experience  with 
Tarvia,"  or  "A  Million  Dollars'  Worth  of  Harley-Davidsons 
in  the  Government  Service." 

It  is  obvious  that  in  most  cases  inductive  copy  has  little 
publicity,  value.  It  has  to  be  read  completely  before  the  argu- 
ment can  have  much  weight.  It  is  not  to  be  recommended, 
therefore,  in  most  cases  of  newspaper  advertising,  or  in  cases 
where  the  message  is  to  be  impressed  upon  a  large  number. 


REASON-WHY    COPY  !5! 

It  is  advisable  for  advertisements  in  business  and  technical 
publications  where  readers  are  picked,  and  in  advertisements 
where  it  is  more  important  to  convince  a  few  people  than  it 
is  to  make  a  slight  impression  upon  a  much  larger  number. 

The  example  on  page  149  represents  a  piece  of  inductive 
copy  based  upon  the  same  material  as  the  advertisement  ort 
page  148,  which  is  a  deductive  appeal.  In  this  case  the  in- 
ductive appeal  is  the  more  effective.  The  evidence  has  suf- 
ficient interest  in  itself  to  attract  readers,  because  of  the  promi- 
nence of  the  concern  and  the  exactness  of  the  figures.  The 
general  claims,  on  the  other  hand,  are  such  as  might  be  made 
by  almost  any  other  roofing  manufacturer  and  are  not  con- 
vincing until  the  evidence  has  been  read. 

Point  of  View. — So  far,  we  have  considered  the  reason- 
why  copy  as  if  it  were  in  the  form  of  abstract  argument  in  the 
third  person.  This  is  not  always  the  case,  though  it  is  most 
typical.  Reason-why  copy  may  be  presented  in  the  first  per- 
son with  the  advertiser  himself  as  the  narrator  of  his  story. 

This  first-person  method  has  the  tone  of  realism  and 
usually  creates  a  good  deal  of  confidence.  Its  only  danger  is 
that  of  appearing  egotistical.  Even  though  it  is  written  in  the 
first  person  the  reader's  interest  must  always  be  kept  foremost. 
It  should  have  the  "you"  attitude. 

A  great  deal  of  reason-why  copy  is  written  from  the  sec- 
ond-person point  of  view.  Examples  of  this  are  numerous 
in  the  preceding  pages. 

Style  r.nd  Tone. — When  we  speak  of  reason-why  copy  as 
argumentative,  it  must  not  be  taken  to  imply  that  it  must  be 
aggressive  or  dominating.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  in  a  large 
number  of  cases  it  is.  The  selling  attitude  leads  to  aggressive- 
ness. Reason- why  copy  in  the  minds  of  many  people  is  com- 
posed of  short,  snappy  sentences  like  those  of  a  Brisbane  edi- 


152  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

torial.  For  the  average  person  and  the  average  article,  this 
tone  is  useful. 

Some  classes  of  people,  however,  cannot  be  successfully  ap- 
pealed to  in  that  way.  They  do  not  wish  to  be  bullied  or  ex- 
horted. In  appealing  to  such  classes  it  is  better  to  use  the 
insinuating  or  persuasive  tone.  The  advertiser  merely  states 
the  facts  and  allows  the  reader  to  draw  his  own  conclusions. 

There  are  all  varieties  of  tone  from  the  cheap  clap-trap  to 
the  ultra-dignified  and  reserved.  It  is  nearly  always  safe  to 
adopt  a  tone  that  is  somewhere  between  the  two  extremes — 
simple,  sincere^  and  forceful,  without  being  noisy  or  over- 
emphatic. 

Successful  reason-why  copy  has  refuted  the  claim  that  a 
long  advertisement  will  not  be  read.  A  long  advertisement  will 
be  read,  provided  it  is  made  interesting  to  the  reader  and 
contains  real  selling  arguments.  If  the  purpose  of  the  adver- 
tisement is  to  convince,  it  usually  requires  some  length.  De- 
liberation takes  time  and  if  the  reader  is  to  deliberate  the 
writer  may  well  go  along  with  him  and  help  him  to  deliberate 
so  as  to  be  sure  he  will  reach  the  right  conclusion.  In  some 
business  magazines  multi-page  advertisements  have  proved 
successful.  A  man  who  is  genuinely  interested  will  read  them 
and  he,  of  course,  is  the  man  who  is  the  best  prospect.  But  the 
copy  must  be  sincere,  must  be  vital,  and  must  contain  not 
merely  words  but  facts. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

HUMAN-INTEREST  COPY 

Its  Purposes  and  Methods. — Human-interest  or  "short-cir- 
cuit" copy  makes  its  chief  appeal  to  the  senses  or  emotions  of 
the  reader.  Response  to  it  is  instinctive  rather  than  reasoned, 
and  consequently  depends  largely  upon  suggestion — very  lit- 
tle upon  deliberation. 

In  view  of  these  facts  it  is  natural  that  human-interest  ad- 
vertisements often  depend  more  upon  illustration  and  other 
elements  of  display  than  upon  the  copy  itself.  Frequently  the 
copy  plays  but  a  small  part.  It  is  not  in  any  case  unimportant, 
for,  however  brief  it  is,  it  should  have  some  human-interest 
quality  and  harmonize  with  the  display. 

It  may  be  noted  here  that  all  copy  has  some  human  inter- 
est, whether  intentional  or  unintentional,  for  all  symbols — 
words  as  well  as  colors  and  forms — have  their  associations  as 
well  as  their  definite  meanings.  Even  so  simple  a  thing  as  the 
name  of  a  person  calls  to  the  mind  of  the  reader  some  indi- 
vidual of  that  name  he  has  known  in  his  experience,  and  the 
word  is  unconsciously  colored  by  his  impression  of  the  indi- 
vidual. Anna,  Grace,  Margaret,  Helen,  Charles,  and  Henry, 
each  brings  up  its  associations  from  past  experiences,  usually 
with  a  feeling  of  like  or  dislike. 

This  simple  instance  shows  how  important  it  is  that  the 
writer  of  any  advertising  appeal  heed  the  suggestion  or  conno- 
tation of  the  symbols  he  uses,  even  though  he  is  writing  an  ap- 
peal to  the  intellect  or  reason.  A  reason-why  advertisement 
for  tailored  clothing  tried  to  enforce  its  argument  that  clothes 
should  be  individual  by  proving  that  each  man  is  different 
from  all  others.  Its  head-line  read,  "Down  to  Your  Thumb 

153 


154  THF    PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

Prints."  There  was  no  intention  of  suggesting  criminals,  yet 
those  who  are  familiar  writh  the  Bertillon  system  of  thumb 
prints  would  associate  criminals  with  the  clothes  and  thus  be 
drawn  away  from  the  real  message  of  the  advertisement.  It 
was  good  reason-why  spoiled  by  an  unfortunate  human-in- 
terest association. 

The  writer  must  constantly  be  on  his  guard  against  ele- 
ments in  the  display  or  copy  that  will  distract  the  reader  from 
the  idea  to  be  conveyed,  or  associate  some  unpleasant  idea 
with  it.  In  the  writing  of  reason-why  copy,  however,  he  has 
merely  to  guard  against  unintentional  bad  suggestion.  In 
writing  human-interest  copy  he  is  attempting  to  secure  inten- 
tional good  suggestion.  He  is  trying  to  arouse  desire  for  his 
article  by  associating  with  it  pleasant  and  relevant  ideas  that 
will  make  people  instinctively  reach  out  for  it. 

How  Suggestion  Works. — We  may  conveniently  look  upon 
suggestion  as  a  method  of  causing  the  reader  to  see  a  complete 
image  by  giving  him  a  part  of  it.  The  remainder  he  con- 
structs from  his  imagination,  based  on  his  past  experience.  It 
is  as  if  we  had  a  circle  with  a  small  segment,  or  even  segments, 
omitted.  The  eye  would  leap  the  gaps  and  would  see  the  circle 
as  a  complete  unbroken  whole. 

This  method  of  suggestion  has  been  effectively  used  in  ad- 
vertising illustrations  by  Coles  Phillips  and  others.  Their 
shadow  drawings  do  not  show  complete  figures.  They  merely 
give  us  some  lines  and  from  our  knowledge  of  the  human  form 
we  have  no  difficulty  in  supplying  the  rest.  In  the  same  way, 
we  can  take  a  common  maxim  and  repeat  the  first  part  of  it: 
"All's  Well,"  "Never  too  Late,"  "A  Stitch  in  Time,"  and  so 
on.  The  mind  supplies  the  rest.  In  a  story  it  is  not  always 
necessary  to  give  the  ending.  A  slight  turn  in  the  direction  of 
the  solution  is  enough  for  the  reader. 

There  are  many  ways  in  which  this  method  of  associating 


HUMAN-INTEREST   COPY  155 

ideas  is  used  in  advertising  copy.  Frequently  an  old  adage  or 
maxim  is  paraphrased,  such  as  "A  Tube  in  Time  Saved  Mine," 
or  "A  Miss  is  as  Good  as  her  Smile."  These  give  no  appeal 
to  the  reason.  They  do,  however,  have  some  emotional  effect ; 
first  by  their  appeal  to  the  sense  of  humor,  and  second  by  the 
fact  that  they  associate  with  the  article  things  that  are  old  and 
true,  so  that  unconsciously  the  reader  is  led  to  believe  in  the 
truth  of  the  advertiser  and  his  message. 

An  even  more  powerful  kind  of  suggestion  is  that  given 
us  by  the  words  and  acts  of  other  persons.  We  see  a  person 
doing  a  thing  and  there  is  a  natural  tendency  on  our  part  to 
follow  suit.  One  man  in  a  street-car  yawns  and  soon  every- 
body is  yawning.  One  man  stands  in  the  street  and  gazes  up 
at  the  top  of  a  high  building.  A  crowd  collects,  with  each  man 
craning  his  neck.  The  suggestion  given  by  an  action  is,  of 
course,  stronger  than  that  given  by  words.  Consequently,  this 
method  lends  itself  to  pictorial  advertising  better  than  to  all- 
copy  advertising.  Articles  such  as  Arrow  collars  and  Cluett 
shirts  depend  largely  on  it.  The  suggestion,  of  course,  is 
strongest  when  the  person  pictured  is  one  whom  we  admire. 
This  point  has  already  been  touched  upon  in  the  discussion  of 
"Prestige  of  the  Source"  in  Chapter  XII,  which  may  profit- 
ably be  reviewed  in  connection  with  the  present  chapter. 

Direct  Appeals  to  the  Senses. — The  simplest,  though  by  no 
means  the  easiest,  of  human-interest  appeals  is  the  direct  ap- 
peal to  the  senses.  This  almost  always  involves  the  use  of 
illustration.  It  is  difficult  by  means  of  words  alone  to  suggest 
to  the  reader  the  taste  or  sound  or  smell  of  an  article,  and  of 
course  in  making  him  imagine  the  appearance,  the  illustration 
is  one  hundred  times  as  effective  as  words.  The  English 
vocabulary  contains  so  few  words  that  directly  describe  sensa- 
tions that  it  is  usually  necessary  to  resort  to  more  indirect 
methods. 


156  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF   ADVERTISING 

If  a  direct  appeal  to  the  senses  is  used,  it  must  be  absolute- 
ly specific  and  concrete.  Vague,  general  words,  such  as  pleas- 
ant, delightful,  delicious,  and  the  like,  have  no  human-interest 
value.  They  have  been  used  so  often  they  are  worn  out,  and 
moreover  they  are  too  vague  to  convey  a  definite  impression. 
The  writer  should  try  to  pick  out  the  distinguishing  superiority 
of  his  article  that  will  appeal  to  the  senses,  and  suggest  this  by 
an  exact  and  concrete  description.  He  should  also  picture  the 
article  from  the  standpoint  of  the  user.  Only  in  this  way  can 
he  bring  the  article  to  the  reader's  actual  or  imagined  experi- 
ence. The  following  example  will  illustrate : 

WOULDN'T  You  LIKE  A  SOAP  WITH  THE  REAL 
FRAGRANCE  OF  VIOLETS? 

The  delicate  perfume  of  the  fresh,  sweet  violets,  so  real 
you  can  close  your  eyes  and  fairly  believe  you  are  smelling 
the  fresh-cut  flowers  themselves — this  is  the  toilet  delight 
awaiting  you  in  Jergen's  Violet  Glycerine  Soap ! 

And  we  have  caught  this  real  violet  fragrance  in  a  soap 
so  clear  you  can  see  through  it — the  color  of  the  violet  leaf, 
a  beautiful  translucent  green. 

"Freshen-up"  with  it  to-night ! 

See  what  a  sense  of  dainty  cleanliness  it  brings  you,  what 
an  exquisitely  fresh  fragrance  it  imparts  to  your  skin  and 
hair. 

Any  water,  anywhere,  releases  its  delicate  perfume  and 
makes  an  instant  lather  —  soft,  white  and  plentiful. 

Good  Taste  in  Sense  Appeals. — Although  it  is  essential  that 
sense  appeals  be  concrete  and  vivid,  it  does  not  by  any  means 
follow  that  all  acts  and  sensations  can  safely  be  described.  In 
general,  a  sense  appeal  should  contain  no  ideas  that  are  irrele- 
vant or  incongruous,  nor  should  it  run  the  risk  of  calling 
forth  disgust  or  any  other  unpleasant  emotion. 

A  conspicuous  example  of  this  mistake  was  the  chewing 
gum  advertisement  which  read:  "Click  go  the  teeth.  Out 


HUMAN-INTEREST   COPY  157 

trickles  the  delicious  juice  of  Wrigley's  Spearmint  Gum." 
The  appeal  was  constructed  along  the  right  lines,  but  the 
image  created  would  antagonize  any  normal  person. 

For  similar  reasons  an  article  that  is  to  be  used  by  refined 
persons  should  not  be  associated  with  a  person  of  the  lower- 
classes  or  with  an  animal.  An  advertisement  that  shows  a 
hobo  picking  up  a  cigar  butt,  and  saying:  "I  find  Prince  Char- 
ley's Cigars  excellent,"  does  not  sell  the  cigars  to  discriminat- 
ing smokers. 

In  similes,  likewise,  it  is  well  to  avoid  comparisons  with 
persons  or  conditions  for  which  there  can  be  no  feeling  of 
respect.  "Make  Your  Breath  as  Sweet  as  a  Cow's  Breath," 
does  not  constitute  an  effective  appeal  for  chewing  gum.  An 
image  must  be  more  than  merely  vivid  and  concrete.  It  must 
be  pleasurable  and  reasonably  close  to  the  reader's  experience. 

A  direct  sense  appeal  does  not  always  mean  a  direct  descrip- 
tion of  the  article.  It  may  be  a  description  of  the  process  by 
which  the  article  is  made  or  the  conditions  that  surround  it. 
We  may  get  a  desire  for  a  certain  brand  of  milk  by  learning 
that  it  comes  from  "contented  cows  grazing  in  green  pastures." 
We  may  want  a  breakfast  food  more  because  we  learn  that 
"no  human  hands  touch  it"  before  our  own.  These  appeals  are 
incidentally  reason  appeals.  Primarily,  however,  they  stimu- 
late desire  through  the  senses.  The  following  copy  is  an  inter- 
esting if  somewhat  exaggerated  example  of  this  type  of  appeal: 

WE  PICK  THEM  AT  SUNRISE 

Red-ripe  solid  Jersey  tomatoes  with  the  dew  standing  on 
them,  and  flashing  out  among  the  vines. 

The  fruit  at  that  hour  is  cold  and  firm.  When  you  open  it 
the  juice  glistens  temptingly;  and  the  delicious  flavor  is  like 
nothing  else  in  the  world. 

That  is  what  you  get  in 

CAMPBELL'S  TOMATO  SOUP 
We  make  these  perfect  tomatoes  into  soup  the  day  they  are 


158  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

picked.  The  Campbell  process  retains  all  their  native  qual- 
ity and  freshness  and  their  delightful  aroma. 

All  the  other  ingredients  are  equally  choice  and  tempting. 
And  our  exclusive  blending-formula  produces  a  result  so  in- 
viting and  so  wholesome  that  experts  agree  in  classing  Camp- 
bell's as  the  standard  perfect  tomato  soup. 

Wouldn't  your  family  enjoy  it  today? 

Imitation. — A  more  indirect  sense  appeal,  but  frequently 
effective,  is  made  by  showing  someone  enjoying  the  article. 
Thus,  we  see  a  child  licking  the  peanut  butter  from  a  slice  of 
bread,  a  family  gathered  around  a  pianola  or  a  talking  ma- 
chine in  attitudes  of  eager  attention,  a  man  smiling  as  he  puffs 
at  his  cigar.  We  imagine  their  pleasure  and  want  to  share  it. 
As  has  been  remarked  earlier,  the  person  pictured  must  be  of 
the  kind  we  wish  to  imitate,  otherwise  the  advertisement  not 
only  does  not  give  us  a  buying  impulse  but  may  give  us  an 
actual  aversion  to  the  article. 

What  is  equally  important,  the  character  illustrated  must 
exercise  reasonable  restraint.  Usually  it  does  not  please  us 
to  see  a  young  woman  eating  chocolates  with  too  much  gusto, 
and  although  it  may  be  attractive  to  see  her  displaying  her 
hosiery  to  the  knee,  it  is  likely  to  antagonize  a  refined  woman 
and  make  her  feel  that  that  particular  brand  of  hosiery  is  not 
worn  by  really  nice  women.  The  great  success  of  McCallum 
hosiery  advertising  has  been  due  to  its  restraint.  There  is 
never  any  lengthy  display  of  limb  and  usually  there  is  not 
actually  descriptive  copy  except  of  an  informative  kind. 

The  advertisements  on  pages  160  and  161  illustrate  the 
difference  between  an  unrestrained  appeal  which  repels  by 
its  exaggeration  and  absurdity,  and  a  restrained  appeal  which 
suggests  more  than  it  says. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  second  appeal  shows  a  child  as 
the  subject.  In  taste  appeals  it  is  usually  safest  to  feature 
children.  Even  though  they  are  shown  keenly  enjoying  their 


HUMAN-INTEREST    COPY  i59 

peanut  butter,  jam,  grape  juice,  or  candy,  their  physical  pleas- 
ure is  not  offensive,  even  to  refined  people. 

Few  articles  can  be  advertised  entirely  by  a  sense  appeal. 
Usually  the  human-interest  appeal  is  directed  to  the  emotions. 
Curiosity,  ambition,  love,  and  pride,  are  among  the  strongest 
emotions  and  those  most  commonly  appealed  to.  Fear  is  even 
stronger,  but  is  dangerous  except  in  the  case  of  articles  bought 
for  protection  or  insurance. 

Emotional  appeals  frequently  are  made  through  the  senses. 
In  fact,  it  is  difficult  to  distinguish  sometimes  between  a  sense 
appeal  and  an  emotional  appeal.  The  advertising  of  musical 
instruments  usually  blends  the  two  and  it  is  hard  to  say  where 
the  sound  of  the  instrument  leaves  off  and  the  joy  or  pathos 
of  its  effect  begins. 

Direct  Appeals  to  the  Emotions. — Fhe  simplest  type  of  di- 
rect appeal  to  the  emotions  is  that  known  as  the  inspirational 
type  and  used  for  correspondence  school  courses  and  the  like. 
The  reader  is  addressed  as  "you"  and  is  exhorted  to  get  out 
of  the  rut  and  become  a  trained  man.  He  is  reminded  of  his 
duty  to  himself,  his  parents,  or  his  family.  He  is  reminded 
of  his  need  of  increased  pay  and  shown  the  way  to  get  it.  By 
these  and  an  infinite  variety  of  other  appeals  to  ambition,  love, 
pride,  or  acquisitiveness,  he  is  made  to  desire  the  education, 
the  set  of  books,  or  the  article,  whatever  it  may  be. 

In  such  appeals  it  is  necessary  to  put  the  reader  in  a  fam- 
iliar situation  or  one  which  it  is  natural  to  imagine — such 
situations  as  counting  the  contents  of  the  pay  envelope,  figur- 
ing expenses,  seeing  another  person  promoted,  or  the  like. 
In  the  case  of  the  business  man  it  is  likely  to  be  perplexity 
over  some  difficult  problem;  in  the  case  of  a  woman,  the  dis- 
comfort and  inconvenience  of  sweeping  or  washing  clothes  by 
old  methods,  etc.  In  any  case  the  head-line  must  be  concrete 
and  strike  a  responsive  chord  in  those  who  are  sought  as  buyers. 


lL  i<r 


J^HE  highest   ideal  of  fastidious   lovers  of  rich  confections — is  realized  in 

1  Liggdt's  Chocolates.     The  craving  for  more  lingers — because  their  irresistible 

charm  of  flavor  is  never  forgotten    That's  why  they  are  "The  sweetest  story  ever  told" 


Liggett'*    Chocolate*    are    not    told  everywhere— but    by    select    shops 

The  leading  druggists  of  4000  towns  and  cities  in  United  States  &  Canada 


If  there  is  no    ySSSH  Store  where  you  Eve,  remit  us  $1 .00  and  we  wiD  send  you  a  pound  box.  delivery  charges  prepaid, 
anywhere  in  the  United  States  or  Canada     Send  us  lOc— stamps  or  silver— and  we  will  mail  you  a  dainty  tnal  package 

Poundi  SOc  and  SI  00  Liggett,  Boston,  Mao. 


Exaggerated  and  absurd  in  every  respect.     Makes  no  sense  appeal 


160 


HUMAN-INTEREST   COPY 


This  direct  appeal  is  ca- 
pable of  many  uses  but  it  has 
to  be  carefully  handled.  One 
of  the  chief  dangers  is  that 
it  may  easily  have  the  sug- 
gestion of  preaching  and  it 
is  a  characteristic  of  human 
nature  to  resent  advice  gra- 
tuitously offered. 


161 


Dramatic  Form.— Because 
of  the  general  aversion  to 
preaching,  the  dramatic 
form  is  sometimes  a  safer 
method  than  the  direct  ap- 
peal. Here  the  advertise- 
ment becomes  a  monologue 
by  some  pictured  or  other- 
wise visualized  character. 
Exhortation  or  advice  is 
given  by  him,  not  by  the 
writer,  and  is  therefore  less 
likely  to  offend.  Moreover, 
the  use  of  this  character  has 
greater  realism  and  a 
stronger  personality.  It 
gives  a  chance  for  colloquial 
language,  such  as  might  be 
used  in  ordinary  conversa- 
tion. 

The  monologue  should 
begin  with  a  tense  moment 
or  a  crucial  situation  in  the 
life  of  the  person  addressed. 


IT'S  pretty  hard  to  wait  that 
last  half-hour  before  daddy 
comes  with  the  box  of  «2%^. 
But  <4&4&  are  worth  waiting 
for.    They,  always  taste  just  a 
little  better  than  you  remember. 


Bonbons^  Chocolates 

Children  \i}&  •*&$&&  best  be- 
cause they  are  most  delicious. 
Mother  likes  them  best  for  the 
children  because  they  are  al- 
ways pure  and  fresh.  ^^ 
come  in  so  many  varieties  that 
they  suit  every  age  and  taste. 

*&)&'  candies  are  sold  by 
*ty4?  agents  (leading  druggists 
everywhere)  in  United  States 
and  Canada.  If  there  should 
be  no  sales  agent  near  you, 
write  to  us. 

&&,.&#  64  IRVING  PLACE 
VCZff&P         NEW  YORK 

Frank  DeK.  Huyler.  President 

•e&jt&r  Cocoa  — the   greatest    drink  for 

young  people 


Appeal  by  suggestion  (used  in  chil- 
dren's magazine) 


Yes,  I'll  tell  you  what 
makes  the  difference 


"I'm  going  to  be  frank  with  you,  Jim,  as  you  have 
asked  me  to  be. 

"You  have  as  much  natural  ability  as  I  have — you 
know  that.  You  have  just  as 
much  education,  so  far  as  school 
goes,  and  just  as  much  experience. 


There's  only  one  difference  that  makes  my 
salary  $5,000  and  yours  $2,000.  You  know 
your  own  work — and  that's  all.  I've  been 
studying  the  whole  field  of  business. 

"I  know  finance  and  accounting  and  organi- 
zation as  well  as  selling  and  collecting.  I  know 
business  as  a  whole.  You  don't.  That's 
blunt,  Jim,  but  that's  the  truth. 

"Of  course,  I  didn't  have  experience  in  all 
these,  departments.  But  I  got  the  experience  of 
other  men.  I  studied  it  every  minute  I  Could 
spare.  I  am  doing  it  still,  and  intend  to  keep  on. 

"You  can  do  it,  too. 

"The  Alexander  Hamilton  Institute  gives  a 
Course  and  Service  meant  for  just  such  fellows 
as  us. 

"It  was  planned  by  progressive  educators  like 
Joseph  French  Johnson,  the  Dean  of  New 


York  University  School  of  Commerce,  and 
Jeremiah  W.  Jenks,  of  New  York  University, 
and  by  business  leaders  like  Frank  A.  Vander- 
lip,  President  of  the  National  City  Bank,  Elijah 
W.  Sells,  of  Haskins  &  Sells,  public  ac- 
countants, and  Henry  R.  Towne,  of  Yale  Ox, 
Towne. 

"They  planned  it  right.  Then  they  got  th«  best  ex- 
pcrts  they  could— men  of  national  reputation— to  conduct 
the  Course'and  the  Service. 

^A  lot  of  men  are  taking  It— Alfred  I.  duPont,  Presi- 
dent of  the  DuPont 'Powder  Company;  Seth  Thomas. 
Jr.,  of  the  Seth  Thomas  Clock  Company;  E.  F.  Hershey, 
of  the  Hershey  Chocolate  Co.,  and  others  of  their  stamp. 

"If  it  is  good  for  these  men,  it  is  good  for  us.  I  know 
it  has  done  wonders  for  me.  I  couldn't  have  gotten  such 
a  knowledge  of  business  in  a  lifetime  in  any  other  way. 

"But  I'm  not  going  to  try  to  tell  you  all  about  it.  Write 
to  them.  They  have  a  little  book,  'The  Ability  to  Handle 
Men,'  that  gives  you  the  whole  ttory.  And  it'*  mighty 
interesting.  Send  for  a  copy." 


Alexander  Hamilton  Institute 

A»tor  Place,  New  York  City 

I        Without  placing  me  under  any  sort  of  obligation  Knd  me  your  new  book.  "The  Ability  to  Handle  Men."  and  ful 
•    information  regarding  your  Coune  and  Service.     (Write: 


:  your  name,  butinew  addrew  and  buiinew  portion  below.) 


The  monologue  form  gives  human  interest  to  a  reason-why  story 


162 


HUMAN-INTEREST   COPY  ^3 

It  must  be  absolutely  concrete.  Such  a  beginning  as,  "It  is  a 
great  opportunity,"  or  "Here  is  your  chance,"  is  not  strong 
enough.  The  best  head-line  is  usually  in  the  form  of  a  ques- 
tion or  answer  to  an  unspoken  question  of  the  reader.  The  ad- 
vertisement on  page  162  illustrates  an  effective  method  of  writ- 
ing monologue  copy. 

The  dialogue  is  only  a  minor  variation  of  the  monologue 
and  the  same  .sreneral  principles  apply  to  it.  It  is  hard  to 
handle  effectively,  however,  because  it  has  greater  tendency 
toward  length.  There  is  a  temptation  also  to  have  opposing 
views  presented  and  although  the  interests  of  the  advertiser 
ultimately  triumph  in  the  copy,  there  is  a  chance  that  the  argu- 
ment of  the  other  side  may  prevail  with  the  reader.  Dialogue 
heightens  the  reality  by  giving  more  of  the  flesh-and-blood 
quality  to  the  characters.  It  is  especially  good  in  appeals  to 
sentiment. 

The  Story  Form. — The  story  form  is  one  of  the  safest  and 
most  widely  useful  of  all  human  interest  appeals.  It  is  writ- 
ten in  much  the  same  way  as  the  stories  in  the  magazines,  but 
instead  of  beginning  with  the  most  important  facts  about  the 
article,  it  begins  logically  with  the  incident  that  sets  the  story 
in  motion.  Instead  of  saying,  "This  is  the  story  of  a  man 
who  got  a  higher  position  because  of  his  correspondence  school 
training,"  it  begins,  "  *You  are  wanted  in  the  Board  Room.' 
This  is  the  message  that  Harry  Williams  received,  etc."  It 
is  not  until  later  that  the  reader  is  told  why  Williams  was 
called  before  the  board  of  directors  and  made  treasurer  of 
the  company.  In  rare  cases  it  is  effective  to  tell  the  purpose 
of  the  story  first. 

In  such  a  story  as  this  the  facts  stated  must  be  absolutely 
credible.  If  they  are  true,  so  much  the  better,  but  at  least 
thev  must  appear  true,  and  as  a  rule  this  is  impossible  unless 
they  are  founded  upon  truth. 


164  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

Sentiment  and  Sentimentality. — In  all  human-interest  ap- 
peals it  is  necessary  to  recognize  the  difference  between  senti- 
ment and  sentimentality.  Sentimentality  means  an  attempt  to 
arouse  emotion  without  an  adequate  cause.  It  is  easy  to  make 
human-interest  copy  slushy,  mushy,  and  ineffective.  Readers 
do  not  care  to  read  an  advertisement  that  is  full  of  extravagant 
praises  of  a  product,  even  though  they  are  represented  as 
coming  from  the  lips  of  some  third  person,  nor  do  they  feel 
sympathetic  with  the  monologue  artist  when  he  expresses  him- 
self in  the  following  impassioned  way: 

And  Betty!  When  the  last  note  ends  as  softly  as  a  fall- 
ing rose  leaf,  Betty  sits  there  with  her  dear  little  head 
drooped,  her  face  flushed  and  rosy,  the  most  splendid  dewy 
moisture  in  her  eyes,  and  she  just  wants  to  put  her  head  on 
my  shoulder,  and  I  know  it  and  I'm  King.  I  say  it  gently, 
"Betty,  come  here,"  and  without  a  word  she  comes.  She 
cuddles  on  my  big  awkward  knees  and  her  head  slips  into 
that  place  on  my  shoulder,  and  all  I  can  say  is,  "Oh,  my 
dear.  My  very,  very,  very  dearest  dear." 

There  is  a  place  for  sentiment  in  copy.  Everyone  knows 
that  buying  is  most  common  before  the  Christmas  holidays 
and  that  a  large  percentage  of  the  purchases  for  the  family 
throughout  the  year  are  made  on  sentiment.  But  there  is  no 
room  for  sentimentality.  It  may  be  added  that  the  nature  of 
suggestion  itself  indicates  that  in  every  appeal  there  is  much 
that  may  be  left  unsaid. 


CHAPTER    XVIII 
SMALLER   UNITS    OF   ADVERTISING    COPY 

Technique  in  Advertising  Copy. — Right  thinking  is  the 
most  essential  thing  in  writing  advertising  copy.  The  choice 
of  method  and  the  organization  and  construction  have  more 
to  do  with  the  success  of  an  advertisement  than  matters  of 
technique.  Numerous  cases  can  be  cited,  nevertheless,  where 
two  pieces  of  copy  alike  in  conception  and  general  construc- 
tion, and  used  under  similar  conditions,  differed  50  to  100 
per  cent  in  resultfulness.  The  differences  were  mainly  in  sen- 
tence structure  and  diction.  Obviously,  technique  is  impor- 
tant. In  the  smallest  unit  of  all — the  word — often  lies  the 
difference  between  an  insipid  communication  and  a  vital 
appeal. 

The  smaller  units  of  composition — especially  the  word  and 
sentence — are  best  studied  in  revision.  If  the  writer  gives  too 
much  thought  to  them  while  in  the  throes  of  construction,  he 
will  hesitate  and  flounder  and  the  result  will  be  labored.  He 
should  have  at  his  command  a  broad  vocabulary  and  a  thor- 
ough knowledge  of  the  principles  of  effective  sentence  struc- 
ture. When  actually  writing,  he  should  focus  his  attention 
upon  his  message  and  the  person  to  whom  he  would  transmit 
it.  Afterwards,  he  can  go  over  his  work  to  find  its  errors 
and  obscurities — to  see  where  transposition  would  add  force, 
where  the  change  of  a  word  would  brighten  up  a  dull  passage. 
He  can  then  revise  it  for  greater  effectiveness  and  incidentally 
gain  power  for  his  next  attempt. 

It  is  necessary  here  to  give  some  principles  of  diction,  sen- 
tence structure,  and  paragraphing.  They  are  much  the  same 
for  copy  as  for  other  fields  of  composition,  but  have  certain 

165 


166  THE    PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

differences.     Matters  of  technique,  moreover,  need  to  be  re- 
viewed constantly,  even  by  experienced  writers. 

The  word  is  the  smallest  unit  of  composition  and  should 
therefore  be  considered  first,  even  though  the  sentence  is  more 
logically  the  unit  of  thought.  The  word  is  a  symbol.  It  repre- 
sents an  image  or  conception,  just  as  a  sign  in  a  signal  code 
does.  It  is  valueless  except  there  be  a  community  of  under- 
standing between  the  writer  and  reader.  Unless  a  word  repre- 
sents the  same  thing  to  both  of.  them,  it  cannot  convey  the 
message  intended. 

Good  Use. — The  first  requirement  of  words,  therefore,  is 
that  they  should  be  in  good  use.  Good  use  is  the  acceptance 
of  a  word  or  expression  by  the  majority  of  authorities.  In 
the  case  of  literary  composition  these  authorities  are  writers 
and  speakers  whose  position  and  reputation  are  unquestion- 
able. In  advertising  copy  the  standard  is  somewhat  broader. 
It  includes  the  majority  of  the  reading  public. 

The  ordinary  requirements  of  good  use  are  that  a  word 
should  be  present,  national,  and  reputable.  Language  contin- 
ually changes.  Words  that  we  commonly  accepted  yesterday 
may  be  obsolete  today ;  such  as  yclept,  clmrger,  and  yore.  The 
copywriter  must  avoid  these  and  even  such  words  as  smite, 
steed,  and  aver.  His  language  must  be  up  to  date;  it  must 
contain  only  words  that  the  average  man  understands  and  uses. 
On  the  other  hand,  he  must  generally  avoid  slang — such  words 
as  cinch,  con,  dub,  etc.  Even  though  they  are  frequently  used 
by  the  man  of  the  street,  they  are  limited  to  a  temporary  exist- 
ence. Frequently  the  man  who  uses  them  holds  them  in  con- 
tempt. 

In  the  same  way,  the  writer  of  advertising  copy  should 
avoid  French  or  other  foreign  words  that  have  not  been  An- 
glicized, words  that  are  peculiar  to  certain  localities  only,  and 
words  that  are  vulgar  corruptions  of  good  English  words, 


SMALLER  UNITS  OF  ADVERTISING  COPY  ^7 

such  as,  alright,  orate,  and  pants.  Naturally  he  must  see  that 
he  uses  words  in  the  accepted  sense.  He  must  not  confuse 
affect  with  effect,  suspect  with  expect,  accept  with  except,  etc. 
It  is  almost  an  axiom  that  words  in  advertising  copy  should 
be  simple.  They  should  come  within  the  comprehension  of  the 
least  intelligent  and  least  educated  of  possible  buyers.  The 
advertisements  in  a  newspaper  should  contain  no  word  that 
might  not  be  found  in  the  reading  columns.  The  simple  words 
are  those  we  ordinarily  call  Anglo-Saxon  words — the  kind  we 
have  used  since  childhood.  They  should  be  given  the  prefer- 
ence. Pretentiousness  at  any  rate  should  be  avoided.  Emol- 
lient and  detergent  have  little  meaning  to  the  average  reader. 

Adaptation  to  the  Reader. — Although  our  language  is  more 
nearly  national  than  that  of  almost  any  other  country — largely 
because  of  national  advertising — still  there  are  sectional  and 
class  differences.  The  standard  of  good  use  in  Boston  is 
slightly  different  from  that  of  Seattle  or  Galveston.  Adver- 
tisements addressed  only  to  limited  groups  may  use  language 
that  is  peculiar  to  that  group. 

In  writing  advertisements  that  appeal  to  men  only,  such 
as  advertisements  for  smoking  tobacco,  it  is  possible  to  use 
even  slang  that  would  be  totally  unsuitable  for  articles  that 
appeal  to  both  sexes.  In  advertisements  to  society  women, 
French  expressions  may  sometimes  be  used.  More  important 
still,  advertisements  to  business  men,  medical  men,  lawyers, 
engineers,  farmers,  and  to  many  other  groups  of  persons  who 
have  a  peculiar  class  lingo,  may  be  written  in  this  peculiar 
lingo.  This  point  will  be  discussed  more  fully  in  Chapter  XIX. 

It  may  be  set  down  here,  however,  that  one  of  the  great 
advances  advertising  is  making  today  is  in  the  adaptation  of 
advertising  language  to  readers.  It  is  no  longer  necessary  to 
insist  upon  the  strict  correctness  that  savors  of  pedantry. 
Every  principle  of  word  use  and  sentence  structure  must  be 


How  Very  Comfortable! 

This  is  the  sort  of  .feeling  that  you  have  after  a  bath  or 
awash  with  Pears — a  feeling  of  natural  freshness— the  exhil- 
aration due  to  a  sense  of  perfect  cleanliness— the  glow  and 
delight  of  a  healthy  stimulating  influence. 

Pears  is  composed  entirely  of  natural  saponaceous  in- 
gredients of  the  highest  Emollient  and  detergent  properties, 
It  is  so  daintily  soothing  and  softening  to  the  skin  surface, 
and  it  promotes  in  a  pre-eminent  degree  that  natural  beauty 
of  complexion  which  is  universally  admired. 

Pears'  Soap 

to  the  Health  .and  Beauty  of  the  Skin 

Matchless  for 

the  Complexion 


Pears  is  the  Most 
Economical  of  Toilet 
Soaps  because  of 
its  Double-Lasting 
Qualities^ 


1 


'fill 

/f 


OF  ALL  SCSNTED  SOAPS  PEARS*  OTTO  OF  ROSE  is  THE  BEST 


Weak  arrangement  of  material,  with  blind  head-line  and  uninteresting 
copy,  composed  of  pretentious  generalities 

168 


Resi  nbl  Soap 

improves  complexions 


Try  this  easy  way  to  clear  your 
skin:  Bathe  your  face,  for  several 
minutes  with  Resinol  Soap  and 
warm,  water,  working  the  creamy 
lather  into  the  skin  gently  with  the 
finger-tips.  Then  wa.sh  off  with 
more  Resinol  Soap  and  warm  water, 
finishing  with  a  dash  of  clear  cold 
water  to  close  the  pores. 


the  healing,  antiseptic  Resinol  bal- 
sams spothe  and  cleanse  the  pores, 
remove  pimples  and  blackheads,  and 
leave  the  complexion  clear,  fresh 
and  velvety.  When  the  skin  is  in 
very  bad  condition,  apply  a  little 
Resinol  Ointment,  and  let  it  remain, 
on  ten  minutes  before  the  final  wash- 
ing with  Resinol  Soap. 


Do- thlS   Once    Or    tWICe    a    day,  and  R«inol  Soap  costs  but  twenty-five  cems  at  all  dragrirt.  »nd 

..-•,-  i  *    vi  dealers  in  toilet  goods.      For  a   guestroom   size  trial  cake. 

OU    Will    be    astonished   nOW    qUICkly        write  to  Dept.  3J-C,  Resinot,  Baltimore.  Md. 


Simple,  strong  layout  with  specific  definite  language 

169 


THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

considered  in  relation  to  this  principle  of  adaptation.  The 
writer  of  an  advertisement  can  address  his  readers  in  almost 
the  same  language  that  he  would  use  in  talking  to  them  in  a 
convention. 

Exactness.— Words  should  not  only  be  in  good  use  and 
correctly  used — considering  adaptation  to  the  readers — they 
should  also  be  exact.  If  the  writer  means  to  assert,  he  should 
not  contend  or  declare  or  claim  or  state  or  advise.  He  should 
know  the  fine  distinction  between  these  words  and  be  sure 
that  he  has  chosen  the  one  that  conveys  his  exact  shade  of 
meaning. 

Generalities  are  to  be  avoided  and  specific  words  used 
instead.  Words  like  best,  highest  grade,  first  class,  and  the 
like,  have  been  used  so  extensively  that  they  no  longer  have 
any  definiteness  of  meaning.  Words  should  show  how  the 
article  is  best.  Nine  times  out  of  ten  an  advertisement  that 
is  weak  and  unconvincing  would  be  greatly  strengthened  by 
substituting  specific  words  for  the  glittering  generalities. 

Exactness  is  especially  helped  by  concreteness  of  language. 
Concrete  words  carry  a  sense  image.  They  hammer  the  idea 
into  our  minds  by  giving  it  to  us  in  the  same  form  our  eyes 
or  ears  or  fingers  would  perceive  it.  "Small  boys  are  lugging 
off  our  wash  suits  in  great  spirits,"  is  stronger  than  "Children 
are  carrying  off  our  wash  suits." 

Figurative  language  frequently  makes  for  even  greater 
exactness.  We  say:  "This  furnace  will  not  eat  up  your  coal,"  or 
"It  will  cut  your  bills  in  half."  Advertising  men  habitually  talk 
in  figures  of  speech.  They  talk  of  a  copy  with  "punch,"  with 
"smash,"  and  of  copy  that  "gets  across."  Figurative  lan- 
guage is  due  not  so  much  to  a  desire  for  exactness  as  to  a  de- 
sire for  picturesqueness.  It  has  to  be  used  carefully.  Fig- 
ures of  speech  must  be  pleasant  and  close  to  the  reader's  ex- 
perience. They  must  be  natural;  they  must  not  be  mixed; 


SMALLER  UNITS  OF  ADVERTISING  COPY  ^i 

they  must  not  be  strained.  When  a  writer  speaks  of  the  mo- 
tion of  an  automobile  as  "like  a  caress,"  we  feel  that  he  has 
gone  a  little  too  far. 

It  may  help  in  summing  up  these  requirements  for  exact 
diction  to  see  how  a  single  idea  is  improved  by  being  expressed 
in  a  specific  rather  than  a  general  word,  a  concrete  rather  than 
an  abstract  one,  a  figurative  rather  thai?  a  literal  one.  Take 
the  verb  go.  This  is  general.  We  make  it  specific  by  saying 
walk,  run,  or  ride.  It  becomes  concrete  when  we  say  stride, 
shuffle,  or  stumble.  It  becomes  figurative  in  the  Big  Ben 
advertisement,  which  says,  "These  men  swing  down  to  their 
work,"  and  in  the  automobile  advertisement,  which  says  it 
"floats  up  the  hill  on  high  gear." 

Suggestion. — The  distinction  between  words  is  not  purely 
a  matter  of  their  exact  meaning  or  denotation,  but  is  largely 
a  question  of  their  suggestion  or  connotation.  Every  word 
has  its  meaning  as  determined  by  the  agreement  of  people.  It 
also  has  its  associations,  which  are  determined  largely  by  its 
sound,  its  degree  of  dignity,  and  the  ideas  which  have 
accompanied  it  in  previous  experience.  Some  words  that 
mean  literally  what  we  intend  them  to  mean  should  be  avoided 
because  of  their  unfortunate  suggestion.  Other  words  are 
strengthened  by  their  good  suggestion. 

Sound.— The  sound  itself  has  an  important  effect.  Many 
words  originated  in  imitative  soimds.  The  writer  of  adver- 
tising should,  not  make  too  careful  an  attempt  to  suit  the 
sound  of  the  words  to  the  sense.  He  should,  however,  avoid 
words  that  do  not  sound  right. 

For  our  purpose  there  are  two  classes  of  sounds:  liquid, 
free  sounds;  and  harsh,  closed  sounds.  The  liquid  sounds 
are  those  in  which  open  vowels  and  such  consonants  as  /,  m, 
n,  t ,  predominate.  They  suggest  speed  and  lightness.  They 


172  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

enable  the  reader  to  pass  quickly  from  one  word  to  the  next. 

Harsh  sounds  are  those  in  which  close  vowels  and  such 
consonants  as  k,  g,  h,  x,  etc.,  predominate.  They  give  the  im- 
pression of  strength  and  slowness.  They  may  be  said  to  sup- 
ply friction,  because  they  make  a  physical  barrier  to  the 
reader's  passage  over  the  thought.  They  impress  the  words 
individually  upon  the  reader's  mind. 

When  we  speak  of  "the  most  delicate  chocolate  that  ever 
tickled  a  candy  palate  or  watered  a  candy  tongue,"  the  phrase 
ripples  along  with  the  suggestion  of  daintiness  that  the 
thought  requires.  When  we  say,  "The  chords  crash  forth," 
we  hear  the  thundering  music  of  the  piano.  The  writer  need 
not  take  care  to  secure  such  harmonies  of  sound  to  sense,  but 
he  must  be  sure  that  he  does  not  allow  his  liquid  sounds  to 
become  too  frequent  when  he  is  trying  to  drive  home  an  im- 
portant thought;  and  that  he  does  not  use  too  many  harsh 
words  when  he  wants  his  writing  to  be  read  quickly  and  easily. 

Tone-Color. —  Words  should  have  the  right  degree  of  dig- 
nity or  tone-color.  At  one  extreme  is  vivid,  figurative,  emo- 
tional diction.  Such  language  we  find  in  the  following: 

When  Vance  wrote  "The  Brass  Bowl,"  he  drew  aside 
the  curtain  of  night  and  turned  the  flash-light  of  his  story- 
telling power  into  a  woman's  heart.  When  the  reading  pub- 
lic opened  "The  Black  Bag,"  they  saw  in  its  depths  the 
source  of  cupidity.  Those  who  took  the  lid  off  "The  Band- 
box" found  the  story  of  vanity,  love  of  finery,  hunger  of 
jewels,  and  the  intrigues  born  of  deceit.  It  was  a  best  seller. 

It  will  be  noted  that  the  last  sentence  has  a  distinct  change 
in  tone  to  another  level  of  language. 

The  next  level  is  the  vulgar  or  slangy  language  that  is 
both  vivid  and  colloquial.  We  frequently  find  it  in  tobacco 
advertising: 


SMALLER  UNITS  OF  ADVERTISING  COPY  ^3 

FIRST  OF  ALL — 

you  buy  a  jimmy  pipe.  Get  one  that  chums-up  with  your 
spirit  right  off'  the  bat,  natural  like.  .  .  .  Get  jimmy  pipe 
joy'us  quick  as  you  can  beat  it  up  the  pike  to  any  store  that 
sells  tobacco.  .  .  . 

The  third  level  is  the  cheerful  or  colloquial  language  that 
is  suitable  to  messages,  about  some  article  of  common  use, 
such  as  an  alarm  clock  or  a  razor.  Big  Ben  copy  almost  always 
has  it,  in  the  following  example: 

Wonderful  memory  that  fellow  Big  Ben  has — fact  is,  for 
his  age,  the  smartest  thing  alive. 

Slightly  above  the  colloquial  is  the  conversational  language 
of  every-day  use.  It  contains  no  words  that  are  not  generally 
known  and  in  common  use.  It  is  always  safe — nearly  always 
appropriate. 

Beyond  this  is  the  level  of  restrained,  dignified  language 
that  may  suitably  be  used  in  the  advertising  of  expensive  and 
exclusive  articles,  such  as  high-priced  writing  paper,  solid  sil- 
verware, and  period  furniture.  Such  an  expression  as  "be- 
speaks refinement,"  is  an  example.  This  level  should  not  be 
used  except  by  a  concern  that  can  afford  to  stand  aloof  from 
the  reader,  for  the  language  has  the  suggestion  of  withdrawal 
and  aloofness. 

Highest  of  all  is  the  elevated  and  sonorous  language  of 
literature,  rarely  useful,  but  occasionally  of  tremendous  power 
in  presenting  a  subject  that  calls  for  vividness  together  with 
restraint.  We  find  it  in  such  an  advertisement  as: 

I  am  the  printing-press,  born  of  the  mother  earth.  My 
heart  is  of  steel,  my  limbs  are-  of  iron  and  my  'fingers  are  of 
brass. 

I  sing  the  songs  of  the  world,  the  oratories  of  history,  the 
symphonies  of  all  time. 


174  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

The  important  thing  to  be  remembered  in  connection  with 
these  degrees  of  dignity  is  that  when  any  one  of  them  is 
adopted  no  words  should  creep  in  that,  violate  it.  The  effect 
would  be  as  bad  as  that  of  inharmonious  colors.  When  the 
writer  starts  out  with  a  vivid  figure  of  speech  and  then  drops 
into  the  commonplaceness  of,  "It  was  a  best  seller,"  he  spoils 
his  effect  by  the  introduction  of  an  inharmonious  tone.  The 
degree  of  dignity  should  also  be  in  accord  with  that  of  the 
article  advertised. 

Atmosphere. —  The  last  thing  to  be  considered  is  the  at- 
mosphere of  a  word.  This  is  a  slightly  different  thing  from 
its  dignity  and  its  sound.  Its  atmosphere  is  its  suggestion  of 
place,  or  mood,  or  point  of  view.  Some  words  suggest  the 
warmth  and  comfort  of  life,  others  the  freedom  and  fresh- 
ness of  out-of-doors,  others  the  quiet  and  peace  of  the  family 
fireside. 

When  a  department  store  speaks  of  "springtime  kimonos 
like  those  the  musemes  wear,"  we  get  a  breath  of  the  Orient. 
We  do  not  know  what  "musemes"  are,  but  that  does  not  mat- 
ter. Other  words  suggest  the  footlights,  the  cafe,  the  senate 
chamber,  the  office,  or  the  factory. 

When  a  breakfast  food  advertisement  speaks  of  its  "crisp 
granules  combined  with  the  most  digestible  of  all  fats,  cream" 
it  brings  in  an  atmosphere  that  is  not  favorable  to  our  early 
morning  appetites. 

We  may  allow  this  matter  of  atmosphere  to  rest  with  a 
discussion  of  the  synonyms  for  the  word  smell.  Smell  itself 
is  ordinarily  neutral- — to  many  minds  negative  or  unpleasant. 
It  covers  the  whole  broad  field.  Odor  is  more  dignified,  but 
still  general.  Fragrance  suggests  delicacy  and  the  atmosphere 
of  flowers  grown  in  the  fields  or  gardens.  Scent  suggests  a 
heavy,  powerful  smell,  perhaps  of  the  Orient,  perhaps  of  per- 
fumes, perhaps  of  hot-house  flowers — but  certainly  not  the 


€ 


PENALTY  OF 
LEADERSHIP 


TN  every  field  of  human  endeavor,  he  that  is  first  must  perpetually  live 
A  in  the  white  light  of  publicity.  ^Whether  the  leadership  be  vested, 
in  a  man  or  in  a  manufactured  product,  emulation  and  envy  are  ever  at 
work,  lln  art,  in  literature,  in  music,  in  industry,  the  reward  and  the 
punishment  are  always  the  same.  ^The  reward  is  widespread  recog- 
nition; the  punishment,  fierce  denial  and  detraction.  1[When  a  man's 
work  becomes  a  standard  for  the  whole  world,  it  also  becomes  a  target 
for  the  shafts  of  the  envious  few.  ^If  his  work  be  merely  mediocre,  he 
will  be  left  severely  alone— if  he  achieve  a  masterpiece,  it  will  set  a  million 
tongues  a-wagging.  ^Jealousy  does  not  protrude  its  forked  tongue  at 
the  artist  who  produces  a  commonplace  painting.  ^Whatsoever  you 
write,  or  paint,  or  play,  or  sing,  or  build,  no  one  will  strive  to  surpass,  or 
to  slaader  you,  unless  your  work  be  stamped  with  the  seal  of  genius. 
^Long,  long  after  a  great  work  or  a  good  work  has  been  done,  those  who 
are  disappointed  or  envious  continue  to  cry  out  that  it  can  not  be  done. 
^Spiteful  little  voices  in  the  domain  of  art  were  raised  against  our  own 
Whistler  as  a  mountebank,  long  after  the  big  world  had  acclaimed  him 
its  greatest  artistic  genius.  ^Multitudes  flocked  to  Bayreuth  to  worship 
at  the  musical  shrine  of  Wagner,  while  the  little  group  of  those  whom  he 
had  dethroned  and  displaced  argued  angrily  that  he  was  no  musician  at 
all.  HThe  little  world  continued  to  protest  that  Fulton  could  never 
build  a  steamboat,  while  the  big  world  flocked  to  the  river  banks  to  see 
his  boat  steam  by.  UThe  leader  is  assailed  because  he  is  a  leader,  and 
the  effort  to  equal  him  is  merely  added  proof  of  that  leadership.  ^Failing 
to  equal  or  to  excel,  the  follower  seeks  to  depreciate  and  to  destroy— but 
only  confirms  once  more  the  superiority  of  that  which  he  strives  to 
supplant.  ^There  is  nothing  new  in  this.  ^|It  is  as  old  as  the  world 
and  as  old  as  the  human  passions— -envy,  fear,  greed,  ambition,  and  the 
desire  to  surpass.  HAnd  »t  all  avails  nothing.  ^If  the  leader  truly 
leads,  he  remains— the  leader.  ^Master-poet,  master-painter,  master- 
workman,  each  in  his  turn  is  assailed,  and  each  holds  his  laurels  through 
the  ages.  ^That  which  is  good  or  great  makes  itself  known,  no  matter 
how  loud  the  clamor  of  denial.  HThat  which  deserves  to  live— lives. 


Figurative  language  is  here  used  effectively  but  the  lack  of  paragraph 
separation  makes  it  hard  to  read.  The  marginal  space  is  poorly  distrib- 
uted and  the  base  is  weak 


176  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

fragrance  and  delicacy  of  out-of-doors.  Aroma  suggests 
things  to  eat  or  drink  or  smoke,  the  kitchen  or  the  dining- 
room,  but  no  flowers  of  any  kind. 

To  go  deeply  into  the  question  of  atmosphere  of  words 
would  require  a  consideration  of  practically  the  whole  field  of 
language  and  psychology.  There  is  no  way  to  determine  with 
positiveness  the  atmosphere  our  words  will  carry  to  our 
readers.  We  can,  however,  make  sure  that  the  atmosphere 
shall  not  be  negative  or  unpleasant  and  that  it  shall  be  close  to 
the  experience  of  the  majority  of  our  readers.  If  we  do  this 
we  shall  bring  them  into  close  touch  with  us  and  make  a  re- 
sponse more  certain. 

Sentence  Units.—  Sentences,  to  be  effective,  should  be 
built  in  accordance  with  the  structural  principles  that  are  ap- 
plied to  the  composition  as  a  whole.  Because  of  the  license 
allowed  the  writer  of  advertising  copy,  and  the  general  desire 
for  brevity,  it  is  easy  to  fall  into  the  habit  of  writing  fragmen- 
tary sentences — which  are  not  really  sentences,  but  mere 
groups  of  words.  A  sentence  must  contain  a  complete  idea. 
There  is  little  justification  for  such  pieces  of  copy  as  the  fol- 
lowing: 

All  work  hand-laundered.  Prompt  service.  Quality  is 
our  motto.  Fairest  prices  always.  No  charge  for  mending. 
Collars  and  cuffs  our  specialty.  Satisfaction  guaranteed.  A 
trial  will  convince. 

The  use  of  a  few  more  words  to  make  these  sentences 
grammatically  complete  would  add  greatly  to  their  effective- 
ness. If  space  were  not  available  for  more  words,  it  would  be 
better  to  omit  some  of  the  ideas.  There  are  cases  in  which 
sentences  may  be  mutilated  to  get  them  m  the  space,  but  this 
should  be  the  last  thing  done,  and  the  words  omitted  must  be 
such  that  the  reader's  mind  will  supply  them  instantly. 


SMALLER  UNITS  OF  ADVERTISING  COPY  177 

The  principle  of  unity,  as  applied  to  the  sentence,  requires 
that  it  contain  one  main  thought,  with  its  closely  modifying 
thoughts — and  only  one.  Obviously  a  sentence  that  is  in- 
complete grammatically  cannot  be  a  unit.  Another  frequent 
fault  is  the  practice  of  taking  a  modifying  idea  from  its  main 
idea  and  giving  it  the  dignity  of  a  sentence. 

More  dangerous,  and  equally  common,  is  the  fault  of  writ- 
ing several  unrelated  ideas  in  one  sentence.  Long,  involved 
sentences  of  this  kind  are  ineffective,  because  they  tend  to  con- 
fuse the  reader.  Often  he  has  to  go  over  a  sentence  several 
times  before  he  can  grasp  its  meaning,  and  naturally,  he  will 
turn  aside  in  disgust. 

In  point  of  fact,  most  selling  messages  should  be  written 
in  short  sentences.  If  a  hundred  successful  advertisements 
are  chosen  at  random  and  analyzed,  it  will  be  found  that  their 
sentences  average  not  more  than  fifteen  words  in  length.  This 
length  may  safely  be  taken  as  a  standard.  Long  sentences  are 
sometimes  necessary;  occasionally  they  are  advisable  for  the 
sake  of  dignity.  In  any  case,  however,  they  must  be  unified. 

Sentence  Coherence. —  Coherence  in  the  sentence  demands 
proper  order,  construction,  and  connection.  The  order  should 
be  the  normal  one,  except  when  transpositions  are  needed  for 
emphasis.  Modifiers  should  be  as  close  as  possible  to  the 
words  they  modify.  Particular  care  should  be  taken  to  see 
that  adverbial  modifiers,  such  as  only,  are  in  their  right 
places. 

The  construction  of  the  sentence  should  be  as  simple  as 
possible.  In  complex  or  compound  sentences,  the  subject 
should  not  be  changed  unnecessarily,  nor  should  the  verb  be 
changed  from  active  to  passive,  from  subjunctive  to  impera- 
tive, or  in  any  other  unnecessary  way. 

Wherever  possible  the  parallel  construction  should  be 
used.  This  means  that  similar  ideas  should  be  cast  in  sim- 


178  THE    PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

ilar  form.  Correlatives  always  demand  the  parallel  construc- 
tion; thus  if  not  only  is  followed  by  a  verb,  but  also  should  be 
followed  by  a  verb.  A  special  form  of  parallel  construction 
is  found  in  the  balanced  sentence,  which  is  a  compound  sen- 
tence cut  exactly  in  half,  with  the  two  clauses  similar  in  form, 
and  either  similar  or  contrasting  in  thought. 

The  balanced  sentence  is  particularly  useful  in  slogans, 
for  it  is  easily  remembered.  The  following  are  a  few  ex- 
amples : 

We  would  build  them  better,  but  we  can't;  we  could  build 

them  cheaper,  but  we  won't. 

No  time  like  the  present;  no  present  like  the  time. 
We  couldn't  improve  the  powder ;  so  we  improved  the  box. 

Proper  connection  within  the  sentence  demands  that  un- 
equal ideas  should  not  be  co-ordinated.  And  is  a  loose  con- 
nective at  best ;  the  writer  should  examine  his  compound  sen- 
tences closely  to  see  whether  one  main  clause  should  not  be 
subordinated  to  the  other.  He  should  also  see  that  his  sub- 
ordinating connective  expresses  the  right  relation  between  the 
clauses.  When  and  while  are  frequently  misused  for  then  and 
although.  Pronouns  must  always  refer  to  a  definitely  ex- 
pressed, not  an  implied  antecedent.  This  antecedent  must  be 
near  enough  the  pronoun  to  be  unmistakable. 

Participles  are  a  fruitful  source  of  incoherence.  A  par- 
ticipial clause  that  begins  a  sentence  must  modify  the  subject 
of  the  sentence.  "Divided  up  into  sections,  you  can  quickly 
refer  to  any  part  of  this  book,"  should  read  "Divided  up  into 
sections,  this  book  is  convenient  for  quick  reference."  Or, 
better  still,  such  a  sentence  should  be  recast,  with  a  subordin- 
ating conjunction  and  a  definite  verb  used  in  place  of  the  parti- 
ciple. The  absolute  participle,  "it  being  very  cheap"  should 
always  be  avoided,  for  it  does  not  show  the  true  relation  be- 
tween the  idea  it  contains  and  the  idea  of  the  main  clause. 


SMALLER  UNITS  OF  ADVERTISING  COPY  I79 

Sentence  Emphasis. — The  most  important  devices  in  secur- 
ing emphasis  in  sentences  are  compression,  repetition,  sus- 
pense, and  climax.  As  a  rule,  the  sentence  should  be  as  brief 
as  it  can  be  with  full  and  exact  expression  of  the  thought. 
Verboseness  is  fatal  to  emphasis.  Sometimes,  however,  the 
repetition  of  a  word,  if  the  most  important  word,  is  helpful. 
The  following  example  illustrates: 

It  is  a  glove  of  marked  distinction — distinction  in  fit  and 
style — distinction  in  quality  and  fuel — distinction  in  all  the 
little  niceties  of  workmanship  that  are  demanded  by  the  par- 
ticular woman. 

The  beginning  and  end  of  a  sentence  are  its  most  impor- 
tant places  and  should  be  occupied  by  important  words.  Nega- 
tive and  unpleasant  words  should  not  be  placed  there.  In  the 
sentence,  "Among  so  many  investments  it  is  hard  to  tell  which 
would  pay  and  which  would  lose,"  it  would  be  better  to  trans- 
pose the  words  lose  and  pay  so  as  to  end  with  the  positive, 
pay.  Connectives  and  parenthetical  expressions  should,  if  pos- 
sible, be  placed  within  the  sentence. 

Since  the  sentences  on  street-car  cards  and  posters  ordi- 
narily stand  alone,  it  is  especially  important  that  they  be  con- 
structed according  to  the  principle  of  emphasis.  One  street- 
car card  reading,  "The  pages  of  history  will  record  the  great 
war  just  as  the  Evening  Post  today  tells  the  story,"  failed  to 
emphasize  the  important  contrast  between  history  and  the 
present  day  and  did  emphasize  the  unfortunate  word  story. 
Revised  according  to  the  principle  of  emphasis,  it  would  read: 
"History  will  tell  the  story  of  the  great  war  just  as  the 
Evening  Post  tells  it  today." 

The  periodic  sentence,  because  of  the  fact  that  its  idea  is 
incomplete  until  the  end,  therefore  holding  the  reader  in 
s^snense,  is  especially  emphatic.  Inversions  of  order  and 
transpositions,  if  not  used  to  excess,  are  likewise  valuable. 


i8o  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

It  must  be  remembered  that  not  every  sentence  can  be  empha- 
sized. The  normal  order  should  be  followed  unless  there  is 
good  reason  for  change. 

Climax  is  a  most  valuable  means  of  emphasis.  When 
three  clauses  of -similar  form  are  used  together  they  make  a 
strong  impression.  This  is  especially  true  if  they  follow 
Herd's  principle  of  having  the  shortest  first  and  the  longest 
last.  The  principle  of  climax  applies  to  words  and  phrases  as 
well  as  to  clauses.  Three  is  the  best  number;  if  more  than 
this  should  be  used  the  form  becomes  monotonous  and  loses 
force. 

Paragraphs. —  A  paragraph  is  a  group  of  sentences  that 
forms  a  single  step  in  the  progress  of  the  complete  advertise- 
ment. Its  construction  is  not  entirely  a  matter  of  revision, 
because  it  can  be  planned  in  advance.  It  is  frequently  neces- 
sary in  revision,  however,  to  change  the  paragraphing  of  the 
copy. 

The  paragraph  was  designed  for  the  convenience  of  the 
reader.  Its  whole  history  shows  this.  In  order  to  rest  the 
eye  and  mind  of  the  reader  it  is  necessary  that  the  black  mass 
of  type  material  should  be  broken  up,  and  the  most  effective 
method  of  breaking  it  up  is  by  means  of  white  space.  It  nat- 
urally follows  that  the  shorter  the  paragraphs  are,  the  more 
attractive  the  copy  will  be  to  the  eye.  The  whole  tendency 
today  is  toward  very  short  paragraphs. 

The  very  short  paragraph — especially  the  single  sentence 
paragraph — is  not  suitable  in  all  cases.  It  has  great  attention 
value  and  invites  reading.  It  lacks  dignity,  however,  and  fre- 
quently lacks  conviction.  Used  to  excess,  it  is  very  tedious. 
Then,  too,  it  is  not  suitable  for  subjects  that  require  the  per- 
suasion of  a  few  rather  than  the  attention  of  many,  or  sub- 
jects that  must  be  kept  free  from  any  suggestion  of  cheapness 
and  commonness. 


SMALLER  UNITS  OF  ADVERTISING  CQPY  181 

Regardless  of  length,  the  paragraph  should  contain  the 
whole  of  one  phase  of  the  message  and  only  one.  The  copy 
should  be  so  divided  that  each  paragraph  marks  a  logical  step 
forward  in  the  progress  of  the  thought  conveyed.  In  other 
words,  the  paragraph  should  be  unified. 

The  other  structural  principles  apply  to  paragraphs.  The 
sentences  should  be  in  logical  order.  They  should  have  no 
unnecessary  changes  in  construction  or  in  point  of  view  and 
should  make  free  use  of  parallelism.  They  should  be  so 
closely  connected  in  thought  that  few,  if  any,  expressed  con- 
nectives are  needed.  If  connectives,  or  "word-bridges,"  are 
necessary  to  span  the  gap  between  ideas  they  should  be  exact, 
and  unobtrusive  in  position. 

Emphasis  in  the  paragraph  demands  that  the  important 
ideas  be  given  the  best  positions  and  greatest  proportion  of 
space.  This  would  apparently  mean  that  the  last  sentence 
should  contain  the  most  important  idea  and  be  longest.  In 
point  of  fact,  however,  many  good  paragraphs  end  with  short 
sentences.  Occupying  this  important  position  they  have  an 
effect  like  the  crack  of  a  whip. 

It  has  not  been  possible,  in  the  limits  of  this  chapter,  even 
to  touch  upon  all  the  principles  that  are  useful  in  the  construc- 
tion and  revision  of  paragraphs,  sentences,  and  words.  Only 
those  of  most  value  to  the  writer  of  advertising  copy  have 
been  mentioned. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

COPY    AS    AFFECTED    BY    MEDIUM 

Adaptation  to  the  Reader. — The  writer  of  an  advertise- 
ment must  always  govern  his  copy  to  some  extent  by  the 
medium  in  which  it  is  to  be  placed.  Advertisers  generally 
give  careful  attention  to  the  selection  of  media  for  they  real- 
ize that  their  messages  are  of  no  value  unless  they  reach  the 
people  for  whom  they  are  intended.  The  qualities  of  the 
various  classes  of  media  and  the  considerations  which  govern 
their  selection  will  be  outlined  in  later  chapters.  Our  present 
interest  is  in  seeing  that  whatever  medium  is  selected  the  copy 
placed  in  it  shall  be  so  written  as  to  be  effective. 

The  main  principle  is  adaptation  to  the  reader.  Copy 
should  be  suited  to  the  class  of  people  to  whom  the  medium 
caters.  It  should  also  be  suited  to  the  mood  in  which  they 
approach  the  publication,  for  it  must  be  recognized  that  there 
is  a  vast  difference  between  their  attitude  toward  a  humorous 
publication  and  a  serious  review,  toward  a  newspaper  and  a 
fiction  magazine.  A  man  may  read  the  New  York  Times,  the 
Saturday  Evening  Post,  Iron  Age,  and  Life,  but  he  does  not 
approach  them  in  the  same  frame  of  mind.  A  woman  may 
read  the  Atlantic  Monthly,  Vogue,  and  Good  Housekeeping, 
but  she  is  a  different  woman  to  each  of  the  editors  and  should 
be  a  different  woman  to  the  advertisers  of  each. 

Within  the  limits  of  this  chapter  it  is  impossible  to  analyze 
all  the  classes  of  media  and  show  in  detail  how  copy  should 
be  adapted  to  them.  All  that  is  necessary  is  to  point  out  the 
chief  factors  governing  the  adaptation  and  to  apply  them  to 
a  few  important  types  of  media.  For  convenience,  we  shall 
consider  only  media  in  which  a  message  in  words  is  presented. 

182 


COPY  AS  AFFECTED  BY  MEDIUM  183 

First  of  all,  the  copywriter  should  know  who  the  readers 
of  the  media  are,  how  and  where  it  reaches  them,  why  they 
read  it,  how  long  they  take  to  read  it,  and  what  their  attitude 
toward  it  is.  The  more  complete  and  exact  his  answer  to 
these  questions  is,  the  more  likely  he  is  to  build  an  advertise- 
ment that  will  "get  across" — that  will  economize  attention 
and  make  a  deep  impression. 

General  Magazines. — Since  most  of  the  principles  given  in 
the  preceding  chapters  have  had  special  reference  to  general 
magazines  and  weeklies,  as  the  normal  type  of  advertising,  we 
need  not  deal  with  this  class  of  media  at  length  here.  They 
form  the  backbone  of  most  national  campaigns  for  articles 
consumed  by  the  whole  family. 

Magazines  are  bought  to  be  read.  They  cost  from  5  to 
50  cents  apiece.  They  furnish  both  information  and  amuse- 
ment. Their  contents  are  intended  to  provide  something  for 
nearly  every  taste.  They  are  kept  in  the  home  for  some  time 
and  are  usually  read  at  leisure. 

All  this  means  that  the  advertisement  can  be  fairly  com- 
plete. It  can  be  used  to  secure  inquiries  or  even  orders.  It 
can  use  the  reason-why  or  the  human-interest  appeal.  It  per- 
mits the  use  of  good  half-tone  illustrations,  color,  and,  in 
fact,  practically  all  the  interest  incentives.  It  should  assume 
that  the  reader  has  a  fairly  high  average  of  intelligence  and 
education  and  should  therefore  be  correct  in  substance  and  in 
style.  Clever  "stunt"  advertising  is  rarely  advisable. 

Newspapers — National  Advertising. —  It  is  commonly  rec- 
ognized that  the  newspapers  reach  more  kinds  of  people  than 
the  monthly  and  weekly  periodicals.  Their  appeal  is  prac- 
tically universal.  On  the  other  hand,  they  are  read  more  has- 
tily than  the  more  costly  periodicals  and  are  shorter  lived. 
All  these  differences  indicate  that  in  the  newspaper  the  chief 


184  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

tasks  are  to  get  attention  and  to  stimulate  action.  The  na- 
tional advertiser  who  tells  his  story  with  a  fair  degree  of  com- 
pleteness in  the  magazines,  must  usually  boil  it  down  for  the 
newspapers. 

National  advertisements  in  newspapers  demand  bold,  dis- 
tinctive display.  There  are  likely  to  be  many  other  advertise- 
ments competing  for  attention,  to  say  nothing  of  the  news  and 
editorial  columns  for  which  the  paper  was  bought.  Many 
readers  glance  over  the  day's  news  and  then  toss  the  paper 
away.  Strong  attractive  power  is  therefore  a  necessity. 
Clever  and  original  stunts  are  possible  in  the  newspaper  that 
would  be  out  of  place,  even  if  permitted,  in  the  magazine. 
The  range  of  possibilities  in  illustration  is  narrowed  by  the 
cheap  and  coarse  paper,  which  prohibits  the  use  of  fine  half- 
tones; therefore  the  attraction  must  be  secured  by  simple 
methods. 

As  the  newspaper  appears  daily  it  is  especially  useful  for  a 
campaign  that  makes  use  of  repetition.  The  advertisements 
are  usually  inserted  in  a  series,  only  a  few  days  apart.  This 
demands  that  they  have  a  similarity  of  form.  Trade-marks, 
slogans,  or  other  identifying  characteristics,  are  usually 
featured.  A  good-sized  illustration  of  the  package  which  is 
to  be  bought  is  especially  important,  for  the  newspaper  is 
seen  by  people  when  they  are  close  to  the  store  or  source  of 
supply;  and,  moreover,  newspaper  advertisements  are  used  to 
influence  the  dealer  as  well  as  the  consumer. 

The  text  should  be  governed  by  the  same  considerations. 
It  must  be  remembered  that  the  newspaper  is  not  selective. 
Men  and  women  of  all  classes  and  professions  read  it.  As 
there  is  no  connection  between  wealth  and  education,  this 
means  that  the  arguments  should  be  clear  and  fairly  obvious 
and  the  language  simple,  even  in  advertisements  for  expen- 
sive articles. 

As  newspaper  advertisements  must  usually  be  brief  and  gain 


Whistler,  the  artist,  could  put  a  touch 
of  color  in  the  one  right  spot  in  his 
picture  and  give  a  new  value  to  all 
the  rest* 

So  the  Automobile  Show  at  the 
Grand  Central  Palace  is  enhanced 
and  made  more  valuable  by  the  pres* 
ence  of  the 


.    New  York  Sales: 
Harrolds  Motor  Car  Co. 
233  West  54th  Street 


«w  Jersey  Sales: 

Ellis  Motor  Car  Co. 

416  Central  Ave.,  Newark 


Concise,  distinctive  newspaper  copy  for  nationally  advertised  product 

185 


i86 


THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 


This  Man 

hasn't  heard  the 
news  yet  But 
he's  pricking  up 
his  ears,  as  all 
wise  men  do, 
at  the  suggestion 
that  the  John 
Wanamaker  men's 
Store  has  some 
news  for  him. 

Watch 

his  expression 
Monday  evening 
when  the  news 
will  begin  to 
develop. 


"Teaser"  copy  preced- 
ing a  department  store 
bargain  announcement 


their  effect  largely  through  repetition, 
assertions  can  frequently  be  substitut- 
ed for  reasons.  Whether  assertions 
take  the  place  of  reasoning  or  not,  the 
copy  should  be  terse,  vigorous,  and 
snappy  in  tone.  Sentences  and  para- 
graphs should  usually  be  short,  and 
the  diction  should  be  colloquial  and 
journalistic.  The  news  quality  should 
permeate  the  newspaper  advertisement. 
The  point  of  contact  with  the  reader 
is  frequently  his  interest  in  the  news. 
This  does  not  mean  that  when  war  is 
the  dominant  factor  of  news  interest, 
the  copy  should  always  contain  refer- 
ences to  the  war.  When  this  is  done 
too  much  it  becomes  tedious,  and 
leads  to  straining  for  effect.  A  rele- 
vant news  item,  however,  almost  al- 
ways adds  force. 

Newspapers — Department  Store 
Advertising. — The  advertisements  of 
department  stores  depend  largely 
upon  the  news  interest — and  indeed 
partake  of  the  character  of  news. 
Many  women  read  the  latest  an- 
nouncements of  the  stores  as  regu- 
larly as  men  read  the  quotations  on 
the  market  and  financial  pages.  Often 
these  department  store  advertisements 
are  set  up  in  columns  like  the  news 
columns.  Their  chief  purpose  is  to 
give  information  that  is  interesting 
and  up  to  date. 


Great! 


That  was  his  simple  comment  when  he  heard  the 
news  of  what  the  JOHN  WANAMAKER  MEN'S 
STORE  was  going  to  do. 

This  much  of  the  news  you  may  know  tonight: 

$355,585  represents  the  regular  values 
$226,01  3.75—  the  selling  price 


$129,571.25  —  the  savings. 

in  the  greatest  Sale  in  the  history  of  Men's  Clothing 
which  opens  Wednesday  morning  of  this  week  at 
"Broadway  and  Ninth. 

Every  man  will  be  interested. 

Prices  will  fit  every  pocket-book. 

All  about  it  tomorrow  evening. 


Second  "teaser"  preceding  a  department  store  bargain  announcement 


THE  JOHN  WANAMAKER  SPORE 


I  THE  MEN'S  STORE  OPENS  AT  7:30  TOMORROW  (WEDNESDAY)  TO  USHER  IN 
The  Greatest  Sale  in  the  History  of  Men's  Clothing 


The  Pity  of  It 

ao  be  like  tbt  winter'. 
Mormy  days  spreadinr. 
cold,  and  dampnesm  all 


Unusual  Linens  in 
This  Sale  of  White 

Once  in  the  Linen 
Store,  you  are  im- 
mediately impressed  with 
two  things,  the-  vastness 
and  the  fullness  of  the 
stocks.  And  these  are  the 
chief  features  of  this  Jan- 
uary Sale  of  Linens. 
Never  have  we  had  more 
or  better  linens  to  offer 
For 


The  Pity  of  It! 

He  kaV'fo'r'mo'ne'y 'th«*w!n 

Sted'  habiTof<>powltai(Uaut 

•hedvj.  side  and  the  di* 

ea^'d,tt«dmp,r7f'my,..'r.lb'l«0 

""h  to  «  "pat  spa**-  of  • 
toy  pieked  up  from  hia 
t.lher-"0h.  if  la  jut  my 
-ay.  you  must  KM  mind 

The  monkey  In  the  Zoo 

pssrahess 


Th.  only  way  w.  have 
Lund  to  t"  »»  «°<x> 
awople  here  is  to  pick  them 

*ten"filled'  with  thinfs  that 
have  ,to  be  pulled  up  and 
thrown  away 

wldB»d'ln,0youn,T..t.!lri 
I*  achool  studyinc  daily 
laiaons  whereby  the  bual- 
..„  must  be  better  and 

.tS.«"«'l 


The  White  Sale 
That  Grow*  in  Interest 

You  can  come  u  this  \ 
enaker    Sale    of    White    day 
after  day.  and  each  tim. 
..v,,  somethinc  you  h, 
H«i  before 


»ou  will  find  here 

We  extend  to  you 
earnest     invitation    tc 


f  4,156  pain  China 


tl.  fl.50.  $1  75 

«lld.$l.»s  Pair 

lf,ery  kind  of  c 


Special    purchase    o!    j3o5 
JnVke";  hadleft'lTf'  this  lovely 


It. is  so  finely  woven,  lui 
troua  and  souple  that  ft  is  ad 
m.rable  material  for  after 
coon,  street  or  daneinf  frock, 
ifht  blue,  nary 


t  with  black  and  white. 

Alto  .$3  Imported  Colored 
Broadcloth  at  $1.40  Yard 
'  superb 


Mission  Furniture 
at  Halved  Prices 

Quaint  mission  furni- 
ture from  Stickley  Broth- 
er* Co  ("The  Old 
House") 

$133,331  worth,  tor 
every  room  in  the  house 
$2. so  instead  of  $5 


Settees  start  at  $12.75 

P«   the   >>5<»   kind,   u.l   c 

zsasflsfia** 


loset 

*I  i£'£.'R*i& 

Serving  tables. 

Plenty  of'  living-room 


Sideboard 


All  the  Stickley  family 

l.?B?...'cV"' 

Never^before 
We  believe  this 


We  don't  like  superlatives.  They  have  been 
much  misused;  have  lost  a  great  deal.ol  their 
dictionary  meaning.  But  when  we  tried  to 
avoid  them  in  telling  the  news  of  this  Sale  we 
were  "up  a  tree  "  We  could  find  only  one  phrase 
to  fit  the  facts  —  the  greatest  sale  in  the  history 
of  men's  clothing. 

Tliis  is  the  First  Annual 
National  Qearaway 
of  Men's  Better  Suits 
and  Overcoats 


5,420  brand  new  suits  and  overcoats,  jusi  un- 
packed, from  the  leading  clothing  manufacturers 
of  America  .  and  7,2*3  fancy  suits  and  overcoats 
from  the  fine  regular  Wanamaker  stocks—  all 
that  remain. 

12,643 

Men's  Suits 
and  Overcoats 


, 

Mock,  representative  of  the  better  clothes 
produced  this  season,  honestly-made,  servic 
fashionably  cut  a  very  wide  choice  of  patt 
worth,  fisured  on  the  basis  of  our  regular 
offered  for  $237.337.75.  a  total  saving  of  $131 


There  are  6,223  Suits 


On  the  Burlington  Arcade  ffooi 
Fourth  Avenue  End 


12350 


In  r/ie  New  Store  tot  Men. 
Broadway  cornet  Eighth 


rr  $14.50 


I  There  are  C,420  Overcoats 


(4.151  have  silk  lining  and 
On  the  Burlington.  Arcade  floor 

Fourth  Avenue  End 
Black  and  Oxford  Overcoats 

«6..flM       W«,ar».».r  trade) 


Fancy  Overcoats 


On  the  Burlington  A  rcade  floor 

Broadway  End 
All  Fancy  Overcoats 

::;:,;;;,.  wT±;  p  $14.50 


B  $11-50 


;s±|$19SO 

r  ir.de    'i^tiOvt rents) 


Men  Know  What  to  Expect  of  a  Wanamaker  Sale 

Knd  this  I 

may    proceed    with    des- 

charge    forS"lt"'a 


rcprnenutive 
houses ;  and 


There  will  be  plenty  of 
itting  rooms,  and  the  tail- 
vine  »orc»  ha>  been 


a^i5Ser,a 


proval.  and  a  deposit 


leading    from    the    Astor 
Place  Station  on  the  Sub- 


priced    overcoats    will    be 
on   tables  by   the   Subway 

are  in  a  special  hurry. 


The  Men's  Store  will  oper.  tomorrow 

morning  at  >:30   to  give  every  man 

a  chance. 


More  Than  100  Extra  Salesmen 


No  Charge  for  Alien 


Department  store  advertisement  featuring  a  bargain  sale,    (Size  very 
much  reduced) 

188 


COPY  AS  AFFECTED  BY  MEDIUM  189 

The  bargain  appeal  is  most  universal  and  most  extensively 
used  by  department  stores.  Figures  are  exact  and  are  slightly 
below  round  numbers  (as  $4.98  instead  of  $5,  $2.49  instead 
of  $2.50,  and  the  like),  in  order  to  further  the  impression  ot 
saving.  But  it  must  be  remembered  that  a  low  price  is  less 
appealing  than  the  reason  for  the  low  price.  Frequently  the 
reason  has  to  do  with  the  element  of  time,  as  a  pre-inventory 
sale,  an  after-the-holidays  sale,  and  the  like.  This  has  added 
value  in  that  it  contains  the  news  element.  Sometimes  the 
reason  is  that  a  large  purchase  has  been  made  on  fortunate 
terms.  Here  the  time  element  enters  only  through  the  sug- 
gestion that  the  articles  will  be  sold  out  quickly,  and  that 
prompt  action  is  therefore  necessary. 

The  department  store  usually  has  a  definite  position  and 
space  in  the  paper  and  a  distinctive  type  or  method  of  display, 
for  the  sake  of  identification.  It  is  not  wise,  however,  to  allow 
the  marks  of  identification  to  dominate  the  special  appeal  of 
the  day.  Even  though  the  name  or  motto  of  the  concern  be 
placed  at  the  top,  it  should  be  carefully  separated  from  the 
rest  of  the  copy. 

Newspaper — Small  Retail  Stores. — The  methods  of  the 
small  retail  store  that  carries  only  one  or  two  lines  of  goods 
differ  somewhat  from  those  of  the  large  department  store. 
The  bargain  appeal  is  useful  but  can  hardly  be  employed  so 
frequently,  or  the  store  may  lose  prestige.  Nevertheless,  as 
the  most  important  thing  is  to  stimulate  people  to  enter  the 
store,  a  large  percentage  of  small  retail  advertising  contains 
in  some  form  or  other  a  money  inducement.  Next  in  impor- 
tance to  this  comes  the  advertising  that  has  reminders,  or 
timely  suggestions.  A  third  type  consists  of  short,  epigram- 
matic talks  for  the  sake  of  establishing  a  store  atmosphere. 
Usually  these  advertisements  contain  the  element  of  human 
interest.  In  the  case  of  large  concerns  they  are  frequently 


190 


THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 


accompanied  by  material  of  one  of  the  other  two  types. 
This  last  type  of  advertising  frequently  wins  its  readers  by 

the  element  of  distinctiveness  or  character.     The  personality 

________^_(i____-i__^____^     of  a  storekeeper  has  much 

to  do  with  his  success,  and 
if  he  can  put  his  personal- 
ity into  his  advertising 
messages  —  or  get  a  dis- 
tinctive style  put  into  them 
— he  can  often  win  new 
customers.  Even  small 
space,  if  wisely  used  for 
little  anecdotes,  essays, 
stories,  epigrams — all  with 
a  sales  element,  of  course 
— can  be  made  to  attract 
readers  who  will  look  for 
them  as  eagerly  as  for  the 
news  or  the  editorial  col- 
umns. The  little  talks  of 
isement  ^  Rogers  Peet  Company 
are  read  by  hundreds  of 

thousands  of  New  Yorkers  every  day. 

Street-Car  Cards  and  Bill-Boards. — Street  -  car  cards,  bill- 
boards, and  outdoor  display  are  perhaps  the  most  universal  of 
all  mediums  in  their  appeal.  They  are  for  the  eyes  of  every- 
one, regardless  of  wealth  or  education^  Naturally  they  de- 
pend more  on  display  than  on  copy,  for  pictures  and  color 
speak  a  more  universal  language  than  words.  This  kind  of 
advertising,  moreover,  often  has  to  be  seen  from  a  distance 
and  may  be  in  sight  for  only  a  moment  at  a  time.  The  copy, 
therefore,  must  be  very  brief. 

Brief  as  it  is,  it  must  deliver  a  message.     Ordinarily  this 


UR  regular  visitors,  who 
know  us  well,  are  taking  as 
lively  an  interest  in  some 
of  the  Christmas  innova- 
tions here  at  Best's  as  if 
Somebody  had  brought  a" 
bride  into  the  family. 

The  cheery,  convenient 
gif^shop  on  the  second 
floor,  for  one  thing;  the 
special  saleswoman  who 
will  go  with  you  from  table 
to  table  and  devote  herself 
exclusively  to  your  service 
if  you  wish,  for  another 
thing;  the  overflowing  toy- 
shop on  the  fourth  floor, 
for  one  more. 

"You  never  pay  more  at 
Best's"— that's  not  an  in- 
novation at  all,  but  it  may. 
be  news. 


.  *ul  Si*.  Gm»  ./  M* 


COPY  AS  AFFECTED  BY  MEDIUM  191 

should  be  a  stimulus  to  action.  One  of  the  great  values 
of  this  class  of  advertising  is  that  it  is  likely  to  be  seen  by  a 
man  or  woman  on  a  shopping  expedition  and  may  be  the  last 
kind  of  advertising  to  reach  them  before  they  actually  enter 
the  store.  Hence,  it  can  be  effectively  used  to  supplement  and 
re-enforce  other  kinds  of  advertising  appeals.  Reasons  aad 
arguments  are  of  little  value  because  they  cannot  be  given  in 
sufficient  space  to  convince.  Assertions  and  slogans  are  more 
useful.  If  only  two  words  can  be  used,  they  should  be  the 
name  of  the  product  combined  with  an  imperative  verb,  such 
as  "Drink  White  Rock,"  "Use  Sapolio,"  or  "Never  say  dye, 
say  Kit." 

Group  Publications. —  At  the  other  extreme  from  outdoor 
and  street-car  advertising  is  the  advertising  in  the  various 
kinds  of  special  publications,  such  as  technical  and  business 
magazines,  trade  journals,  farm  papers,  women's  publications, 
and  the  like.  These  have  selected  circulation  and  for  that 
reason  usually  command  higher  rates  per  page  for  their  space 
than  general  magazines  or  weeklies  of  equal  circulation. 

This  higher  rate  is  justified  for  two  reasons:  First,  the 
medium  enables  the  advertiser  to  reach  just  the  class  of  people 
that  are  most  favorable  prospects  for  his  product.  To  protect 
this  advantage  some  of  the  stronger  publications  in  the  tech- 
nical field  reject  advertising  that  is  not  specifically  of  interest 
to  their  readers.  Second,  the  advertiser  has  a  definite  point 
of  contact  with  his  audience.  He  knows  what  their  needs  and 
interests  are  and  he  often  knows  the  mood  in  which  they  ap- 
proach the  publication.  To  increase  this  advantage  many  pub- 
lishers maintain  service  departments  which  prepare  advertis- 
ing for  those  who  buy  space  in  the  publication.  The  men  in 
this  service  department  know  the  audience  intimately  and 
hence  are  able  to  adapt  the  appeal  to  their  language,  character, 
and  mood. 


192 


THE   PRINCIPLES   OF   ADVERTISING 


Any  copywriter,  however,  can  learn  to  adapt  his  copy  for 
a  special  group  of  publications  if  he  will  intelligently  study 
the  class  characteristics  and  analyze  the  publication.  It  will 
be  sufficient  here  to  analyze  a  few  of  the  main  types  of  class 
publications  and  consider  the  nature  of  the  appeal  that  will  be 
most  effective  in  them. 

Technical  and  Business  Magazines. — Technical  and  busi- 
ness magazines  are  read  for  profit  and  are  read  while  a  man 
is  in  a  business  atmosphere  and  a  business  mood.  Mere 
assertions  or  emotional  appeals  have  little  weight.  The  copy 
must  give  facts  and  give  them  concisely.  Charts,  tabulations, 
figures,  blue-prints,  and  cross-sections  are  all  valuable,  espe- 
cially in  technical  advertisements. 

The  specific  talking  points  used  for  a  single  article  adver- 
tised in  different  technical  papers  vary  according  to  the  class 
appealed  to.  Take  the  case  of  building  materials,  for  exam- 
ple. They  may  be  advertised  in  general  publications,  contrac- 
tors' publications,  architects'  publications,  and  engineers'  pub- 
lications. In  the  general  publications,  the  advantages  of  the 
material  from  the  standpoint  of  the  beauty  and  durability  of 
the  finished  structure  are  given.  The  merits  of  the  material 
are  explained  from  the  standpoint  of  the  person  who  is  to 
live  in  the  house.  In  the  engineering  publications,  the  strength 
of  the  material,  its  fire-resisting  power,  or  other  special  points 
may  be  shown  in  comparison  with  those  of  competing  ma- 
terials. In  the  contractors'  publications,  the  copy  may  attempt 
to  show  how  conveniently  and  easily  the  article  may  be  used 
in  building;  how  it  cuts  labor  cost,  etc.  The  architect  may 
be  told  of  the  co-operation  he  can  get  and  of  the  variety  of 
effects  that  he  can  secure.  There  may  be  illustrations  of 
buildings  designed  by  other  architects  using  this  material. 
So  it  is  with  every  article ;  the  arguments  must  be  chosen  from 
the  standpoint  of  the  class,  and  their  interests  kept  in  mind. 


Quoth  Sullivan : 

"Yes,  sir,  in  the  old  days  they  laid  the 
stone  cold,  then  they  poured  the  as- 
phalt over  it;  much  of  thebitumen  was 
wasted.  The  penetration  was  seldom 
more  than  an  inch  deep.  Generally  it 
was  less  than  that.  Then,  Mr.  Six-Cyl- 
inder comes  along,  going  30  miles  per 
hour,  and  rips  up  the  whole  pavement 

We  don't  do  it  that  way  any  more;  now  we  use  a 

SMITH  HOT  MIXER 


It  heats  the  stone  to  any  temperature,  350  degrees, 
if  the  specifications  say  so.  Then  you  run  in  the  as- 
phalt; and  the  whole  mass  is  uniformly  coated  with- 
out wasting,  an  ounce  of  bitumen.  There's  no  question 
about  the  penetration.  No  automobile  can  rip  this  sur- 
facing from  the  street.  It's  concrete,  asphaltic  concrete, 
one  of  the  most  lasting  road  surfaces  known  to  science." 


You  can  get  Hot  Mixer  Catalogue  No.  21    from 

15 he  T.L.S'mith  Co. 

'     1126  32nd  Street 

Milwaukee*  Wis. 


Old  Colony  Bldg. 
Chicago,  III. 

Harwell  Place 
Atlanta,  Ga. 

W.  J.  Cullen 
New  York  City 


J.  J.  Shannon  C&  Co. 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 


Justifiable  use  of  technical  "  lingo  "  in  a  technical  publication 


193 


194  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF   ADVERTISING 

Simple,  direct  language  is  most  suitable  for  business 
magazines  and  technical  publications — indeed,  in  any  publica- 
tion read  chiefly  by  men.  The  technical  publication,  however, 
is  justified  in  using  technical  words  and  phrases  that  are  pecu- 
liar to  the  class  of  readers.  This  is  one  reason  why  service 
departments  of  such  publications  are  so  useful.  Their  writers 
are  familiar  with  the  "lingo"  of  the  audience. 

Trade  Papers. — Trade  papers  are  often  confused  with 
techincal  publications,  to  which  they  bear  a  certain  superficial 
resemblance.  There  is  an  important  difference,  however,  in 
that  the  technical  publication  goes  to  men  who  are  interested 
in  the  article  because  of  its  use,  whereas  the  readers  of  trade 
publications  are  usually  dealers  who  are  interested  in  the  ar- 
ticle for  resale.  In  trade  advertising,  therefore,  the  copy 
should  present  the  case  from  a  sales  standpoint,  showing  the 
selling  advantages,  the  profits  to  be  made,  and  the  like.  Often 
it  is  connected  with  the  consumer  advertising  and  may  repro- 
duce the  advertisements  that  are  being  placed  in  general  pub- 
lications to  help  the  dealer.  (See  page  349.)  The  language 
is  usually  colloquial,  even  slangy,  and  at  times  humorous  and 
clever  appeals  are  effective. 

Copy  for  Farmers. — The  farmer,  as  a  rule,  reads  fewer 
publications  than  the  average  business  or  professional  man 
and,  consequently,  reads  them  more  thoroughly.  He  is  in- 
clined to  deliberate  carefully  before  deciding  upon  a  purchase. 
Display  is  of  minor  importance,  not  only  because  the  period- 
ical is  read  carefully  from  beginning  to  end,  but  also  because 
the  quality  of  paper  and  printing  does  not  usually  allow  the 
use  of  a  fine  quality  of  illustrations.  It  is  doubtful,  moreover, 
whether  aesthetic  considerations  weigh  very  heavily  in  the 
farmer's  decision.  Legibility  rather  than  beauty  is  to  be  sought. 

For  the  same  reasons  the  text  may  contain  a  large  amount 


Is  this  the  same  shoe  I  have  been  wearing? 


Doubt  is  the  most  expensive  factor  the  retailer  has  to  deal 
with. 

When  the  customer  questions,  the  salesman  has  to  explain. 
That  means  a  loss  of  time.  But  what  is  more  important,  it 
means  that  there  is  no  connecting  link  in  the  customer's  mind 
between  the  goods  she  bought  last  year  at  your  store  and 
what  she  may  get  this  year. 

A  trade  marked  shoe  such  as  the  Dorothy  Dodd  overcomes 
completely  this  difficulty  Therefore,  it  sells  with  less  effort 
and  less  expense  in  time  and  advertising,  and  holds  your  cus- 
tomers from  year  to  year 

If  you  analyze  your  cost  closely  you  know  that  $5.00  is 
not  a  high  price  to  pay  for  every  fir»t  sale.  Your  profits 


must  come  through  holding  your  trade  from  year  to  year. 
When  you  handle  an  un-named  shoe,  what  have  you  to  offer 
that  your  competitor  cannot  duplicate?  In  other  words, 
what  guarantee  have  you  that  the  customers  you  have  care- 
fully worked  up  this  year  will  not  be  worked  away  from  you 
next  year  by  some  competing  attraction — probably  price? 

Every  customer  made  by  Dorothy  Dodd  dealers  is  like  a 
new  link  forged  in  the  chain  of  success. 

This  is  just  one  feature  of  many  that  makes  the  Dorothy 
Dodd. shoe  proposition  attractive. 

Think  this  over — then  ask  for  full  details  about  the  shot 
and  the  selling  plan. 


DOROTHY  DODD  SHOE  COMPANY 


101  BICKFORD  STREET,  BOSTON 

BRANCH  "IN-STOCK"  DEPARTMENTS 


Trade  paper  copy  showing  familiarity  with  the  dealer's  problems 


195 


196  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

of  material,  provided  it  is  in  the  nature  of  useful  facts.  Hu- 
man interest  is  sometimes  possible,  but  the  stress  should  be 
laid  upon  reasons  and  a  reason  appeal.  Conviction  is  always 
necessary.  The  arguments  that  convince  are  more  especially 
those  which  deal  with  the  qualities  of  durability  and  economy. 
The  price  appeal  is  usually  valuable.  Details  in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  article,  even  to  the  number  of  coats  of  paint  used 
and  side-by-side  comparisons  with  competing  articles,  are 
frequently  helpful. 

The  evidence  chosen  should  be  of  a  kind  to  arouse  confi- 
dence. Testimony,  if  used,  should  be  that  of  other  farmers, 
expressed  in  their  own  language  so  far  as  possible,  even 
though  this  may  be  slightly  ungrammatical.  An  important 
kind  of  evidence  is  in  the  form  of  guarantees,  either  by  the 
advertiser  or  by  the  publication. 

The  personal  point  of  view,  in  which  the  advertiser  uses 
the  word  "I"  liberally,  is  especially  good  for  farm  advertising. 
In  all  cases  the  language  should  be  simple,  without  the  sug- 
gestion of  pretentiousness.  It  is  possible  sometimes  to  go  to 
the  extreme  of  colloquialism  and,  since  most  farm  papers  have 
a  sectional  distribution,  localisms  are  not  objectionable.  Anal- 
ogies and  figures  of  speech  from  the  farmer's  experience  lend 
force — as,  for  example,  "Buy  your  tires  as  you  buy  your 
binder,"  or,  "The  bed  of  the  wagon  is  only  hip-high." 

Copy  that  Appeals  to  Women. —  Women  are,  in  general, 
more  easily  influenced  by  suggestion  than  are  men.  They  are 
more  easily  influenced  through  the  emotions  and  through  the 
ideas  which  are  associated  with  but  not  directly  conveyed  by 
the  illustrations,  words,  and  other  symbols  used  in  the  adver- 
tising message.  For  this  reason,  human-interest  copy,  usu- 
ally accompanied  by  illustrations  which  tell  a  story,  is  found 
effective  in  advertising  to  women.  The  text  is  relatively  less 
important. 


COPY  AS  AFFECTED  BY  MEDIUM  197 

The  aesthetic  sense  in  women  is  highly  developed.  Proper 
balance,  harmony,  and  all  of  the  things  which  make  for  ar- 
tistic beauty  are  almost  essential.  Hand-lettering,  liberal 
white  space,  and  the  application  of  the  principles  outlined  in 
the  chapters  on  display,  all  help  tremendously  to  increase  the 
effectiveness  of  advertising  to  women. 

The  language  used  in  the  text  should  be  absolutely  correct, 
with  even  a  slight  leaning  toward  formality  and  dignity.  Col- 
loquialism, slang,  and  technical  lingo  are  dangerous.  On  the 
other  hand,  figurative  expressions  that  bring  to  the  mind 
pleasant  associations  are  useful  and  an  occasional  dash  of 
French  in  the  higher  priced  women's  publications  will  not  be 
taken  amiss.  It  may  be  that  only  a  small  percentage  of  the 
readers  actually  understand  French,  but  all  feel  the  compli- 
ment. This  is  simply  an  illustration  of  the  fact  that  sugges- 
tion is  more  important  than  direct  meaning  in  the  text  of  ad- 
vertisements to  women. 

"Reason- Why"  Copy  for  Women. —  If  reason-why  copy  is 
used- — and  in  some  cases  it  is  appropriate — the  arguments  that 
appeal  most  are  those  in  which  health,  beauty,  pride,  style, 
the  maternal  instinct,  cleanliness,  or  economy  are  dominant. 
Evidence  of  facts  and  figures  is  ordinarily  useless.  In  selling 
such  a  food  product  as  beans,  for  example,  it  does  not  help 
the  cause  to  give  copious  statistics  as  to  the  number  of  bushels 
of  beans  used  yearly,  or  the  number  of  tin  cans  required  to 
pack  a  month's  supply.  Such  evidence  harms  rather  than 
helps,  because  the  associations  of  thousands  of  tin  cans  is  not 
pleasant  and,  incidentally,  takes  away  from  the  individuality 
of  the  appeal.  A  better  kind  of  evidence  is  that  of  authority 
— the  testimony  of  some  prominent  man  or  woman,  such  as 
Dr.  Wiley  or  Mrs.  Rorer. 

A  large  proportion  of  women,  of  course,  are  influenced 
by  the  bargain  appeal,  as  is  evidenced  by  the  advertising  of 


10%  More  for  Your  Money 

'Quaker  Oats  is  put  up  also  in  a  2j-cent  size,  nearly  three 
times  as  large  as  the  lo-cent  size.  By  savingin  packing  it  offers 
you  10  per  cent  more  for  your  money.  See  how  long  it  lasts. 


Do  You  Know  the  Wealth  of 


That  Lies  in  Quaker  Oats? 

There  is  one  grain  in  which  Nature 
stores  an  exuberance  of  vim.  Fed  to  mankind 
or  to  animals,  it  breeds  spirit  and  vitality. 

For  ages  men  have  known  this.  Among  the 
intelligent,  children  all  the  world  over  are  being 
brought  up  on  this  grain. 

Quaker  Oats  presents  this  grain  in  its  most 
delicious  form.  It  brings  it  to  you  in  large, 
luscious  flakes,  matchless  in  taste  and  aroma. 

The  result  is,  children  love  it.  They  eat  an 
abundance.  And  every  energy-laden  taste  be- 
comes a  new  source  of  vivacity. 

That's  why  the  mothers  of  a  hundred  nations 
now  send  here  for  Quaker  Oats. 


Is  Vim-Food  Made  Delightful 


10c  and  25c  per  Package 
Except  in  Far  West  and  South 


Copy  poorly  adapted  to  high-class  woman's  publication,  because  of 
exaggerated  language  and  sensational  tone 

198 


A  wide  selection  of  Quaker 
Laces  reflecting  inspired  Euro- 
pean styles,  unquestioned  taste, 
conceded  beauty! 

Quaker  Laces  in  the  newest  motifs, 
freshest  notes  —  all  crystallized  in 
authoritative  American  styles! 

Quaker  Laces  suited  ..to  Russian 
Tunic  Effects,  to  over-drapes,  to 
flounces,  to  ruffles! 

Also  Quaker  Lace  novelties — flesh- 
colored  laces,  delicate  Chantillys,  42- 
inch  flounces,  Margot  flounces,  Com- 
bination Camisole  flounces! 

We  have  anticipate'd  Fashion's 
trend — created  new  Quaker  designs 
in  American  styles  ready  for  the 
moment.  The  .moment  is  now. 

The  "fascinating  feminine"  has 
but  to  choose!  Simply  let  her  look 
for  the  blue  card  with  the  Quaker 
head  atop.  That  adds  authority  to 
her  selection. 

QJJAKER  LACES 

Send  for  the  Quaker  Book  of  Fall  Fashions, 
containing  style  suggestions  for  women1! 
gowns,  waists,  lingerie,  etc.  Free  on  request. 

QUAKER  LACE  COMPANY 


c 


PHILADELPHIA 

Makers  of  Quake*  taces.  Quaker  Curtains  and  Quaker  Craft-Lc 


Refined  and  charming;  very  nearly  ideal  for  high-class  woman's 
publication 

199 


wou/cfyou  Aav^ 
in  tAis  'Jerfume  'Jest  ? 


HE  test  was  made  by  103  representative  women,  comparing  six  perfumes- 
three  of  which  were  the  most  popular  foreign  perfumes  and  three  were 
domestic,  made  by  Colgate  &  Co.    Over  %  of  the  103  women  chose 
I  Colgate's  in  preference  to  the  imported.    Before  making  the  test  61  of 
the  103  said  they  preferred  a  foreign  perfume,  yet  when  the  influence  of  a  foreign 
label  was  removed  41  of  these  61,  or  %  of  them,  chose  Colgate's  first. 

Every  woman  will  be  interested  in  the  story'  of  this  test 


This  is  the  Way  They  Chose 

First  choice  of  28  women,  Colgate's  Florient 
First  choice  of  26  women,  Colgate's  Splendor 
First  choice  of  18  women.  Foreign  Perfume  4 


teen  buying  a  label  rather  than  a  perfume: 
A  prominent  actress,  who  liad  previously  Three  Smith  College  ji 
used  a  catlin  !n  :  IT-  passed  by  their  unlabelfd 

pened  to  be  In  this  test,  placed  that  perfume     two  chose  Splendor,  one  I 
fount  and  Florient  first  Aneditorof  a  well-kno» 


It  shows  very  clearly  that 
selecting  a  perfume  because 
it  has  a  foreign  label  does 
not  necessarily  result  in  a 
woman's  getting  what  she 
really  prefers. 

The  test  was  conducted  as 
follows  by  two  impartial 
judges  (Mr.  F.  N.  Double- 
day  of  Doubleday,  Page  & 
Co.:  Mr.  S.Keith  Evans  of 
the  Woman's  Home  Conv 
panion).  They  purchased 
three  of  the  most  popular 
imported  perfumes  and  three  Colgate  perfumes— all  in  origi- 
nal unopened  bottles.  The  judges  poured  the  perfumes  into 
six  plain  bottles,  numbered  from  one  to  six,  and  kept  a  record 
by  which  they  alone  knew  which  number  represented  each 
perfume.  From  'time  to  time  strips  of  Perfumers'  Blotting 
Paper  were  scented  from  the  numbered  bottles  under  the  su- 
pervisionofthejudges.andthesewereusedinmakingthetest. 
The  103  women  represented  businesswomen,  the  stage,  the 


Foreign  Perfume  2 
,  Foreif   ~ 
lioice  of  9  women;  Colgati 

Note  these  little  stories  of  women  who  bad 


First  choice  o    ._  

~         hoiceof  low,.intn,Fi.iei>-nl'"lumei 
-  '     e'sl-cUt 


College  chose  Coipt 

although  what  she  itougbi  was  her  favorite 
perfume  \v«  in  this  test,  and  accorded  that 
perfume  fifth  place. 


editorial  staffs  of  two  wom- 
en's magazines  and  college 
women.  Each  was  asked  to 
name  the  perfume  she  was  in 
the  habit  of  using  and  was 
then  given  6  strips  of  the 
scented  paper  numbered  l  to  6 
corresponding  to  the  num- 
bers on  the  bottles.  She  was 
asked  to  make  a  first  choice, 
a  second,  a  third,  etc.  Rec- 
ord was  kept  of  all  selections 
When  the  tests  were  com- 
pleted the  judges  took  the 
record,  and  inserted  the  names  of  the  perfumes  in  placeof  the 
numbers  from  the  key  which  they  alone  had.  The  result  was 
then  announced  to  Colgate  &  Co.  It  was  a  daring  test— in- 
spired by  the  confidence  which  we  had  in  the  superiority  of 
our  perfumes.  How  is  your  choice  of  perfumes  determined? 
By  what  you  really  prefer  or  by  a  foreign  label  ?  Is  it  not 
possible  that  a  domestic  label  is  keeping  you  from  the  enjoy- 
ment of  the  particular  perfume  you  would  naturally  select? 


h  she  put  in  second  place. 


Would  You  like  to  make  the  Test  for  yourself? 


If  so,  we  will  send  you  three  Perfumers'  Testing  Strips, 
three  miniature  vials  of  the  Colgate  Perfumes — Florient, 
Splendor  and  Eclat— and  an  extra  strip  of  paper  so  that 
you  can  make  a  comparison  between  Colgate's  and  the 
perfume  which  you  may  now  be  using. 


This  test  will  not  only  be  valuable  to  you  but  can  be 
used  as  an  interesting  form  of  entertainment  for  your 
friends.  We  will  send  full  instructions  as  to  how  to  make 
the  test.  Your  name  and  address  and  a  2c  stamp  for  mailing 
will  receive  prompt  attention. 


mite  May  for  details  showing  liow  to  make  the  test  yourself 
COLGATE    &   CO.,    Perfume    Contest.  Dept.  45,    199    Fulton   Street.    New    York 


Effective  reason-why  appeal  to  women 


200 


COPY  AS  AFFECTED  BY  MEDIUM  2OI 

retail  and  department  stores.  Premiums,  likewise,  are  useful 
as  an  inducement.  Even  the  coupon  system  of  the  United 
Cigar  Stores  Company  exists  largely  for  the  benefit  of  women, 
as  may  be  ascertained  by  a  casual  survey  of  the  catalogue  of 
premiums,  or  by  an  inspection  of  the  premium  departments 
of  these  stores.  It  has  also  been  found  valuable  to  feature - 
samples,  booklets,  and  the  like  in  the  copy,  as  an  inducement 
to  response.  Free  gifts  have  been  responsible  for  the  success 
of  many  articles  advertised  to  women. 

Miscellaneous  Copy  Problems. —  The  classes  discussed 
above  are  by  no  means  all  those  which  are  reached  by  special 
publications.  There  are  children's  magazines,  religious  pe- 
riodicals, sporting  and  theatrical  papers,  and  innumerable 
others,  each  with  its  own  special  copy  problem.  It  can  gen- 
erally be  solved,  however,  if  the  writer  will  take  the  trouble 
to  gain  a  fair  knowledge  of  the  characteristics  of  the  class 
and  then  write  the  copy  from  their  standpoint.  Only  when 
this  is  done  can  advertising  reach  its  highest  point  of  efficiency. 
The  too  general  practice  of  constructing  an  advertisement  for 
a  general  magazine  and  then  inserting  it  with  practically  no 
change  in  children's  magazines,  business  magazines,  and 
women's  magazines,  is  wasteful.  While  it  may  be  true  that 
the  buyers  are  the  same  people,  no  matter  where  they  see  the 
advertisement,  there  is  a  vast  difference  in  their  mood  and 
attitude  in  reading  different  publications,  and  that  attitude  is 
carried  over  from  the  reading  pages  into  the  advertising  copy. 
All  advertising  copy  in  class  publications  of  whatever  type 
should  be  built  according  to  the  golden  rule  of  adaptation  to 
the  reader. 


CHAPTER  XX 

COPY   AS    AFFECTED    BY    DISPLAY 

Relationship  Between  Display  and  Text. —  It  is  customary 
to  consider  an  advertisement  as  composed  of  two  kinds  of 
material:  words — the  copy  or  text — and  display — illustra- 
tions, color,  type,  ornament,  etc.  In  reality,  all  these  materials 
form  parts  of  the  language  through  which  the  advertising 
message  is  conveyed.  It  is  a  common  error  to  suppose  that 
copy  is  the  only  form  of  language,  and  that  the  other  material 
in  the  advertisement  may  be  selected  and  used  on  the  basis  of 
whim  and  personal  preference.  All  the  elements  are  subject 
to  certain  definite  scientific  principles  which  must  be  applied 
if  the  advertisement  as  a  whole  is  to  convey  its  message  ef- 
fectively and  evoke  the  response  desired. 

The  distinction  between  copy  and  display  is  largely  one  of 
convenience.  It  is  based  mainly  on  the  fact  that  they  ordinarily 
require  the  services  of  two  different  persons  or  groups.  Few 
copywriters  are  able  to  execute  the  display ;  few  artists  are  able 
to  write  copy.  But  copy  and  display  must  be  in  absolute  har- 
mony and  must  be  combined  so  that  each  may  add  to,  not  de- 
tract, from  the  effectiveness  of  the  other.  The  task  of  com* 
bining  the  two  is,  therefore,  as  important  as  it  is  difficult. 

Three  methods  are  in  common  use.  The  first,  and  poorest, 
is  to  have  an  artist  arrange  the  display  and  then  have  a  copy- 
writer build  the  text  to  accompany  it.  Copy  written  under 
such  conditions  is  likely  to  be  "a  hole  in  the  advertisement 
filled  with  words."  A  better  method  is  to  write  the  copy  first 
and  then  have  it  properly  displayed  by  an  artist.  Best  of  all  is 
the  method  of  having  both  text  and  display  handled  together 
by  the  copywriter,  even  though  an  artist  may  later  be  asked  to 

202 


COPY  AS  AFFECTED  BY  DISPLAY 


203 


execute  the  finished  illustration  and  layout.  At  any  rate  the 
writer  of  the  copy  should  be  in  control  of  the  advertisement 
and  see  that  text  and  display  are  properly  related. 

An  advertisement  should  be  a  unit.  Unless  its  text  and 
display  work  together  in  harmony  a  large  part  of  its  effect  is 
bound  to  be  lost.  The  builder  of  the  advertisement  should 
visualize  it  as  it  will  appear  in  the  pages  of  the  publication. 
Many  copywriters  never  write  a  word  of  the  text  until  they 
have  made  rough  layouts  in  the  size  and  shape  demanded  and 
with  sufficient  detail  of  illustration  and  display  elements  to 
enable  them  to  work  intelligently  with  the  finished  product 
always  in  mind.  They  follow  this  practice  whether  they  want 
an  advertisement  that  consists  largely  of  illustrations  and  other 
display  elements,  or  an  advertisement  that  is  wholly  or  almost 
wholly  text. 

Publicity  Copy. — In  advertisements  that  exist  largely  for 
publicity,  i.e.,  for  getting  the  attention  and  interest  of  as  large 
a  number  of  readers  as  possible,  the  illustration  may  be  the 
dominating  feature.  The  artist  should  be  allowed  the  greatest 
amount  of  space  and  the  best  opportunities.  The  picture  is  all- 
important;  in  fact,  sometimes  it  tells  the  whole  story.  This 
method  of  advertising  is  especially  good  for  the  commoner 
food  products,  such  as  prepared  cereals.  The  advertisements 
of  Cream  of  Wheat  are  almost  entirely  illustration — only  the 
name  of  the  article  and  some  caption  are  usually  added.  Such 
a  method  is,  of  course,  ideal  for  these  cases.  It  would  not  be 
good,  however,  for  some  article  of  less  common  use  or  less 
extensive  distribution. 

Inquiry  Copy. — Where  the  purpose  of  the  advertisement  is 
to  get  direct  orders  or  inquiries,  the  picture  and  other  display 
elements  are  much  less  important.  The  text  is  the  all-important 
thing.  Many  advertisements  of  this  type  are  shockingly  bad 


204  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

in  appearance,  full  of  closely  printed  matter,  broken  up  into 
small,  ugly-shaped  chunks,  unbalanced,  full  of  smudgy  lines — 
the  kind  that  have  been  aptly  called  "eye-killers."  Yet  fre- 
quently they  produce  an  astonishing  volume  of  business,  in  spite 
of  their  form.  This  type  of  advertisement  is  frequently  called 
the  mail-order  type,  because  it  is  used  in  the  great  majority  of 
mail-order  propositions. 

Even  where  the  picture  is  used  in  mail-order  copy,  fre- 
quently it  is  not  wholly  or  even  mainly  for  attraction.  Often 
it  is  the  illustration  of  the  article  to  be  sold,  or  of  the  booklet 
to  be  sent  upon  request.  It  is  rarely  that  the  whole  story  should 
be  told  in  the  picture  and  it  should  usually  be  subordinated  in 
size  and  in  other  ways  to  the  text. 

Between  the  extremes  of  pure  publicity  advertising  and 
mail-order  advertising  are  all  gradations.  Most  advertise- 
ments combine  the  purposes  of  publicity  and  inquiry-getting. 
The  stress  laid  upon  these  two  purposes,  roughly  speak- 
ing, determines  the  relative  importance  of  display  and  text. 

In  advertisements  that  exist  mainly  for  the  sake  of  direct 
inquiries  and  orders,  and  in  most  other  advertisements  that 
depend  largely  upon  a  reason  appeal,  copy  is  more  important 
than  display.  Frequently  it  is  only  necessary  to  see  that  the 
display  does  not  detract  from  the  message  in  words.  Even  if 
it  does  detract,  the  advertisement  may  pay,  because  of  sufficient 
strength  in  the  copy.  This  fact  should  not  lead  the  advertiser 
to  the  erroneous  conclusion  that  artistic  quality  is  of  no  im- 
portance. Good  copy  often  succeeds  in  spite  of  poor  display; 
it  succeeds  better  when  coupled  with  good  display. 

Type  Display. — The  simplest  form  of  display  is  created  by 
setting  important  points  of  the  copy  in  bold  face  type.  There 
should  not  be  more  than  three  points  emphasized  in  this  way; 
otherwise  there  will  be  too  many  things  competing  for  atten- 
tion at  once.  Moreover,  the  continuous  use  of  a  single  method 


COPY  AS  AFFECTED  BY  DISPLAY  205 

of  emphasis  nullifies  its  value  for  its  purpose.     Three  display 
lines  work  well  together.    Two  are  often  enough. 

These  display  lines  should  be  in  proper  position  and  se- 
quence. The  theoretically  ideal  form  is  to  have  the  most 
important  one  at  the  top,  as  a  head-line;  the  second  at  the 
optical  center;  and  the  third  at  the  bottom.  Taken  together 
the  three  display  lines  gives  the  gist  of  the  message.  This 
theoretically  ideal  form  is  found  in  a  surprisingly  large  num- 
ber of  advertisements,  and  is  capable  of  many  effective  varia- 
tions. There  are,  however,  other  arrangements  of  display  lines 
that  are  equallv  effective 

Head-Lines. — In  a  large  proportion  of  advertisements  the 
head-line  is  relied  upon  to  secure  attention  and  interest.  Even 
where  display  first  draws  the  eye,  a  head-line  is  frequently 
necessary  as  a  secondary  attraction  to  secure  a  reading  of  the 
copy.  The  difference  between  two  head-lines  has  often  been 
the  difference  between  success  and  failure  in  an  advertisement. 
It  is  said  that  the  simple  change  of  a  head-line  from  "Cold 
Feet"  to  "Warm  Feet"  greatly  increased  the  productiveness  of 
a  medical  advertisement.  Because  of  this  reason  it  is  wise  to 
study  some  of  the  fundamental  requirements  of  good  head- 
lines. 

A  head-line  may  be  regarded  somewhat  in  the  light  of  a 
title  to  a  magazine  story  or  a  newspaper  item.  There  is  a 
slight  distinction  to  be  made,  however,  between  head-lines  for 
inquiry-getting  advertisements,  and  head-lines  for  publicity 
advertisements.  In  the  latter  case  the  head-line,  like  that  of  a 
newspaper  article,  may  tell  the  whole  story,  or  the  most  im- 
portant part  of  it.  In  the  former  case,  since  results  depend 
upon  complete  reading,  the  head-line  is  more  like  that  of  a 
magazine  story ;  it  aims  to  stimulate  curiosity.  In  either  case 
it  should  be  short,  specific,  apt,  original,  and  interesting. 

These  requirements  are  not  of  equal  importance,  nor  is  it 


206  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF   ADVERTISING 

possible  to  make  every  head-line  conform  to  all  of  them.  Any 
one  of  them  may  be  sacrificed  for  good  reasons.  They  are, 
however,  good  working  principles,  which  may  be  followed  in 
the  majority  of  cases. 

Head-Lines — Brevity. — Brevity  is  an  obvious  necessity,  for 
reasons  that  have  been  made  clear  in  the  section  of  this  volume 
that  deals  with  psychological  factors.  Four  words  are  about 
all  that  the  average  eye  and  mind  can  grasp  at  a  single  glance. 
This  does  not  mean  that  no  head-line  should  contain  more 
than  four  words ;  it  simply  means  that  undue  length  should  be 
avoided. 

The  advantage  of  brevity  may  be  seen  by  comparing  such 
a  cumbersome  head-line  as  "Ask  the  Man  in  the  Street  what 
he  thinks  of  the  Chalmers  Automobile,"  with  the  crisp  head- 
line actually  used,  "Ask  Bill." 

If  the  head-line  must  contain  more  than  four  words  it  is 
wise  to  put  only  four  or  five  on  one  line.  For  example : 

A  Summer  Without  Rent 
and  Housework  Only  Play 

Head-Lines — Specificness. — The  head-line  should  be  speci- 
fic. Such  generalities  as  "Wisdom,"  "The  Truth,"  "Charac- 
ter and  Reputation,"  "Easy  Economies,"  or  "Cheapest  and 
Best,"  have  little  value  for  the  average  reader.  The  broad, 
sweeping  statement  passes  over  his  head  where  some  definite 
fact,  such  as  "$200  Buried,"  or  "Average  Profit  $2.90  per 
tire,"  would  catch  his  attention  instantly.  Laboratory  tests  of 
the  reading  of  advertisements  have  proved  conclusively  that  a 
specific  head-line  is  much  more  certain  to  lead  to  a  reading  of 
the  advertisement  than  a  head-line  that  is  vague  and  general. 
This  fact  can  be  seen  also  from  a  comparison  of  the  following 
two  head-lines  for  the  same  automobile: 


COPY  AS  AFFECTED  BY  DISPLAY  207 

Best  Two-Passenger  Automobile  in  the 
World  at  Anywhere  Near  the  Price 

This  Chain  of  Evidence  Proves  Saxon  Worth 

Head-Lines— Aptness.— Closely  connected  with  the  require- 
ment of  having  the  head-line  specific  is  the  requirement  of  hav- 
ing it  apt.  "Blind"  head-lines,  such  as  "Burglars"  for  a  break- 
fast food,  "Off  Key"  for  a  coffee  substitute,  "How  Very  Com- 
fortable" for  soap,  are  of  no  particular  value.  Even  though 
they  may  lead  to  reading  of  the  advertisement,  they  do  so  by 
deceit  and  do  not  strengthen  the  power  of  the  copy.  Many 
others,  such  as  "Safety"  for  revolvers,  or  "A  Narrow  Escape" 
for  insurance,  while  they  have  a  certain  amount  of  appropriate- 
ness for  the  article  advertised  are  still  lacking  in  aptness  be- 
cause they  are  equally  appropriate  for  many  other  articles. 
"White  sheep  give  more  wool  than  black  sheep — there  are 
more  of  them,"  is  not  only  faulty  in  its  extreme  length,  but  in 
its  total  lack  of  aptness  for  a  typewriter,  which  was  the  article 
advertised. 

The  deficiency  of  such  blind  head-lines  is  all  the  more  ap- 
parent when  we  consider  such  apt  head-lines  as  "Get  a  full 
measure  of  light,"  or  "Three  lamps  for  the  price  of  one." 

Head-Lines — Originality. —  The  requirement  of  originality 
in  a  head-line  is  not  based  on  ethics,  although  it  is  obviously 
unfair  for  an  advertiser  to  appropriate  to  his  own  uses  a  head- 
line formulated  and  successfully  used  by  somebody  else.  Orig- 
inal head-lines  are  necessary  because  most  head-lines  that  have 
been  used  to  any  extent  have  lost  their  power  to  attract  atten- 
tion. Such  head-lines  as  "Do  You  know?"  "Are  You  Inter- 
ested?" and  the  like  are  obviously  worn  out.  "Safety  First" 
has  recently  been  used  too  extensively ;  likewise  "A  Christmas 
Gift  the  Whole  Family  Will  Appreciate."  The  head-line  "Al- 
ways Young"  was  used  for  two  advertisements  in  a  single  is- 


208  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

sue  of  the  same  publication.  Many  other  instances  could  be 
cited  of  head-lines  that  lack  originality  and  therefore  attractive 
power. 

Head-Lines — Interesting  Nature. — The  head-line  should 
have  strong  reader  interest.  A  head-line  with  the  word  "you" 
in  it,  especially  if  it  contains  an  appeal  to  some  fundamental 
human  instinct,  such  as  ambition,  curiosity,  or  desire  to  save, 
is  likely  to  appeal.  The  following  will  illustrate:  "Are  Your 
Hands  Tied  ?"  "Will  You  Drive  Six  Screws  to  Save  $i  1.25  ?" 
"Build  Your  Own  House  in  Two  Hours." 

Obviously  the  word  "you"  cannot  be  used  in  all  head-lines. 
The  requirement  of  originality  sometimes  suggests  some  other 
form  as  preferable.  How  and  zvhy  titles  have  a  strong  factor 
of  human  interest,  as  for  example:  "How  a  World-Wide 
Business  Grew  from  this  Old  Kettle."  Such  forms  have  the 
added  advantage  that  they  appear  to  be  the  beginning  of  an 
answer  to  an  implied  question ;  therefore  the  reader  will  go  on 
without  appreciable  pause. 

It  is  frequently  desirable  to  have  some  word  in  the  head- 
line that  will  automatically  select  the  right  class  of  readers. 
The  word  "pipe,"  for  example,  would  attract  smokers,  as  in 
the  head-line,  "A  Hot  Letter  from  a  Pipe-Smoker,"  "The  Man 
with  Fifteen  Pipes  and  What  He  Said,"  or  "The  Smuggled 
Calabash." 

There  is  one  special  phase  of  self-interest  which  might  per- 
haps be  mentioned  in  this  connection.  Aside  from  the  funda- 
mental emotions  and  instincts  of  human  nature  there  are  fre- 
quently temporary  interests  induced  by  current  events,  by  the 
approach  of  holidays,  or  by  some  other  outside  stimulus.  This 
temporary  interest  is  frequently  made  use  of  to  good  effect 
"Beware  of  Bolshevik  Agitators !"  "Earn  $500  Extra  Before 
Christmas!"  and  the  like,  are  head-lines  that  make  use  of  this 
temporary  interest  of  the  reader. 


COPY  AS  AFFECTED  BY  DISPLAY  209 

There  is  one  further  requirement  of  head-lines  that  applies 
to  publicity  advertising  and  to  some  extent  to  inquiry-getting 
advertising.  A  head-line  should  ordinarily  be  positive.  If  the 
head-line  "Decayed  Teeth"  were  seen  in  connection  with  the 
name  of  a  dentifrice,  the  association  of  ideas  would  be  un- 
pleasant unless  the  whole  of  the  copy  were  read.  Of  course, 
the  whole  copy  is  read  only  in  a  small  percentage  of  cases.  "For 
this  reason  we  should  avoid  such  head-lines  as  "Is  Your  Re- 
frigerator Poisoning  Your  Family?"  or  "A  Man  Would  Die 
in  the  First  Alcove,"  unless  the  advertising  exists  almost  en- 
tirely for  purposes  of  inquiry-getting.  Even  in  cases  of  this 
kind  they  are  dangerous  on  account  of  the  unpleasant,  nega- 
tive suggestions  they  contain. 

Tying  Up  Display  Lines  to  Text  and  Illustrations. — Head- 
lines and  other  display  lines  should  be  regarded  as  integral 
parts  of  the  copy  and  as  such  should  be  tested  according  to  the 
principle  of  coherence.  The  head-line  should  be  closely  con- 
nected in  idea  and  tone  with  the  copy  that  follows:  otherwise 
the  interest  it  secures  is  not  transferred  to  the  smaller  type  of 
the  text  matter. 

Much  the  same  principles  apply  to  the  connection  of  the 
text  with  illustrations.  There  should  be  no  doubt  in  the  read- 
er's mind  as  to  the  aptness  of  the  illustration  when  he  reads 
the  text.  Yet  oftentimes  we  find  in  advertisements  text  that 
has  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  the  illustration  that  drew  our 
attention.  It  indicates  lack  of  team-work  between  the  artist 
and  the  copywriter,  which  could  have  been  obviated  had  the 
man  who  wrote  the  copy  made  himself  responsible  for  the  lay- 
out and  illustration  as  well. 

The  harmony  between  illustration  and  text  should  not  be 
merely  in  the  matter  of  the  direct  connection  of  ideas.  It 
should  be  in  their  tone  or  style  as  well.  No  argument  is  neces- 
sary to  show  that  a  fine  line-drawing  does  not  belong  with  the 


y'xty  Years 

°f  Knowing  How 


Our  Evening  Dress  Clothes — Men's 
and  Young  Men's — are  the  very  finest 
that  our  Sixty  Years  o£  Knowing  How 
can  produce. 


Stein-Wocf* 
Smart  Clothe* 


are  sometimes  called  dear — but — when 
rightly  •  estimated— they  really  are  the 
cheapest. 

The  Stein-B!och.Co. 
Roche} trf,  N.  Y. 


Our 

Young  Matt 

Dress  Suit ' 


There  is  no  connection  between  illustration  and  headline.    The  advertise- 
ment attempts  to  do  too  many  things  at  once 

210 


COPY  AS  AFFECTED  BY  DISPLAY  2II 

rough,  colloquial,  slangy  text  of  Prince  Albert  tobacco,  or  that 
heavy  crayon  or  charcoal  drawings  do  not  belong  with  the 
dainty  descriptions  of  silverware.  Vigorous,  argumentative 
copy  should  not  be  set  in  dainty  or  frivolous  type.  On  the 
other  hand,  copy  with  an  appeal  to  the  senses  or  sentiment 
should  be  displayed  with  some  dignity  and  refinement.  Chel- 
tenham bold  type  and  heavy-rule  borders  would  be  hardly 
appropriate. 

When  the  reader  sees  a  frivolous  picture  of  a  ballroom 
scene,  it  is  somewhat  of  a  shock  to  him  to  see  directly  below  it 
"Sixty  Years  of  Knowing  How,"  and  it  is  a  strain  upon  his 
attention  to  adjust  to  the  new  point  of  view  that  such  a  head- 
line implies.  When  he  sees  the  negative  illustration  of  a  gray- 
haired  old  invalid  it  is  hard  for  him  to  grasp  the  positive  ap- 
peal in  the  head-line  "The  Charm  of  Health,"  and  perhaps 
equally  difficult  to  see  the  relation  of  the  stork  picture  to  either 
of  these  elements.  It  is  unsafe  to  assume  that  he  will  recog- 
nize the  stork  picture  as  a  trade-mark. 

Condensation  of  Text. — Sometimes  the  placing  of  illustra- 
tions and  other  material  in  the  layout  makes  it  necessary  to 
divide  the  text  into  sections.  If  such  is  the  case,  the  copy 
should  be  so  written  that  the  various  units  will  fit  exactly  into 
their  places.  To  do  this  each  space  in  the  layout  should  be 
accurately  measured  by  means  of  a  ruler  and  the  number  of 
words  of  a  given  size  type  that  will  fit  into  the  space  should 
then  be  estimated. 

This  is  only  one  of  the  cases  which  frequently  call  for  con- 
densation of  copy.  The  formula  for  condensation  is,  briefly, 
as  follows: 

1 .  Omit  all  the  clever  statements — those  which  strain  for 

effect. 

2.  Omit  all  circumlocutions  and  unnecessary  descriptive 

words. 


The  Charm  c/" Health 


T~^ADIANTis  the  woman  in  whose  body  and  heart  and 
\~\  soul  there  is  health;  pitiable  she  whose  body  is  sick. 
1  V,  Health  means  happiness,  and  happiness  charms  even 
the  birds  of  the  air.  For  a  quarter  of  a  century 


has  spelt  Health  and  Happiness  to  many  thousands  of 
women  who  were  sick  and  unhappy.  The  rich.wholesome 
malt  and  tonic  hops  are  Nature's  own  restorative  in  the 
most  concentrated  and  effective  form.  It  builds  the  body  into 
strength,  beauty  and  usefulness. 


Your  grocer  and  druggist  have  it 


Malt  Nutrine.when  miied  wi<h  milk  or  sparkling  water,  makes  a  most  palatable  and  healthful 
drink   Mah-Nutrine  declared  by  U  S.  Revenue  Department  3  PUR-  null  product, 
not  an  alcoholic  beverage.  Contains  \af,  per  cent  null  sdijs-i.qo  pet  cent  alcohol. 


ANHEUSER-DUSCH  •  ST.  LOUIS,  U.S.A. 

Booklet  61  (beautifully  illustrated)  sent  fre. 


The  chief  elements  displayed  are  totally  unrelated 


212 


COPY  AS  AFFECTED  BY  DISPLAY  2l3 

3.  Omit  adjectives  and  adverbs  that  are  trite  or  general. 

4 .  Omit  all  the  statements  which  do  not  relate  directly  to 

the  important  one. 

5 .  Omit  any  examples  or  illustrative  statements  that  can 

be  spared. 

It  may  be  said,  in  passing,  that  publicity  copy  may  nearly 
always  be  improved  by  condensation.  Copy  that  is  intended 
to  produce  orders  or  inquiries  should  contain  all  the  material 
possible  within  reasonable  limits. 

The  general  principles  for  relating  text  to  display  which 
have  been  given  in  this  chapter  are  affected,  of  course,  to  some 
extent  by  the  nature  of  the  audience  and  the  medium  used,  as 
discussed  in  previous  chapters.  The  writer,  however,  who  uses 
them  as  a  basis  will  find  it  easy  to  adapt  them  to  suit  special 
conditions. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

THE  FUNCTIONS   AND  ELEMENTS   OF  DISPLAY 

What  Is  Display? — Before  we  can  intelligently  execute  or 
supervise  the  display  of  an  advertisement,  and  even  before  we 
can  determine  the  methods  to  use,  we  must  have  a  clear  con- 
ception of  what  advertising  display  means  and  what  it  is  in- 
tended to  accomplish.  There  seems  to  be  a  general  feeling  that 
it  has  something  to  do  with  art,  for  the  organization  that  looks 
after  this  part  of  the  work  is  commonly  called  the  "art  depart- 
ment/' and  what  it  creates  is  more  or  less  accurately  termed 
"art  work."  Undoubtedly  the  display  of  an  advertisement 
should  be  artistic,  but  the  words  art  and  artistic  are  somewhat 
vague  and  are  subjects  of  much  popular  misconception. 

What  Is  Art? — Among  the  common  misconceptions  with 
regard  to  art  are  that  anything  antique  is  art,  that  anything 
pretty  is  art,  that  any  picture  is  art,  and  that  anyone  who  has 
technical  skill  in  drawing  is  an  artist.  The  truth  is  that  art  is 
a  quality  that  should  be  present  in  any  object  that  man  creates 
to  satisfy  the  needs  of  his  soul  or  intelligence,  whether  that 
object  is  a  cathedral,  a  chair,  or  a  piece  of  china. 

Every  new,  useful  object  that  has  appeared  in  the  history 
of  any  race  has  been  created  because  there  was  a  decided  need 
or  call  for  it,  or  because  the  lives  and  activities  of  the  people 
developed  it.  Advertising,  as  has  already  been  seen,  became  a 
necessity  because  of  modern  industrial  conditions.  Its  develop- 
ment has  been  along  the  same  lines  scientifically  as  other  forms 
of  art  expression  and  its  art  quality  is  dependent  upon  the  same 
relationships  as  those  of  any  other  objects  made  out  of  any 
materials  in  any  age  and  for  any  purpose. 

214 


/CONTROL  of  all  the  processes 
V_>l  in  the  manufacture  of  an 
article,  from  the  raw  material  to  the 
finished  product,  assures  uniformity 
of  excellence  and  reasonableness  of 
price  obtainable  in  no  other  way. 

Each  process  in  the  manufacture  of  Jones  & 
Laughlin  Steel  Company  products,  from 
the  mining  of  the  ore  to  the  finishing  of  the 
article,  is  conducted  in  works  owned  and 
controlled  by  themselves. 


Works — Eliza  furnaces  and  coke  ovens,  South 
Side  works,  Soho  furnace  and  works,  Keystone 
works,  Aliquippa  works.  Products — Bessemer 
and  open  hearth  steel,  structural  material,  agri- 
cultural shapes,  patent  interlocking  steel  sheet 
piling,  cold  twisted  steel  concrete  bars,  steel 
chains,  light  rails,  mine  ties,  spikes,  wire  nails, 
cold  rolled  shafting,  axles,  forging,  tinplates,  wire 
rods,  barbed  wire,  power  transmission  machinery. 


Jones  &  Laughlin  Steel  Company 

The  American  Iron  and  Steel  Works,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 


Single  page   from  trade  journal,    showing   interesting  variation,   perfect 
structure,  and  well-distributed  attention  values.    A  restful  arrangement 


215 


2l6 


THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 


«Sfeoe  Shop* 


The  art  quality  does  not  depend  upon  materials  or  the  per- 
son concerned,. or  the  date,  or  pretty  looks,  or  any  other  tradi- 
tion. The  quality  has  two 
distinct  elements  each  of 
which  must  be  examined 
by  itself.  By  its  posses- 
sion or  lack  of  these  ele- 
ments the  art  quality  is 
judged. 

The  first  element  of  the 
cathedral,  the  chair,  or  the 
piece  of  china,  is  that  of 
fitness  to  use,  or  function, 
as  we  shall  call  it.  When 
a  chair  meets  all  the  re- 
quirements of  a  thing  to 
sit  upon  in  the  circum- 
stances for  which  it  is 
made,  it  expresses  the  first 
element  of  its  artistic  ne- 
cessity. When  an  adver- 
tisement expresses  perfect- 
ly the  relationship  between 
the  commodity  it  presents 
and  the  human  need  it  is 
to  satisfy,  and  the  ma- 
terials of  which  it  is  com- 
posed are  perfectly  fitted 
to  their  purpose,  the  advertisement  has  the  first  element  of  art 
present  in  it.  If  this  is  not  true;  if,  further,  the  advertise- 
ment is  inefficient  in  its  power  to  sell,  it  loses  a  portion  of  one 
of  the  two  elements  to  be  reckoned  with  in  the  art  con- 
cept. 

On  the  other  hand,  inherent  in  the  nature  of  man  is  the 


4  West  38th  St.—  Store  Floor 

Separate  Stare,  A  Step  from  Fifth  Avenue 

important  Sale  (Today)  Friday 

Men's  Shoes 

Mahogany.  Tan  or  Black  Russia  Colt  Shoes,  with  Tan 

or  Crag  Cloth  or  Leather  Tops:  also  Patent  Colt, 

with  Black  Cloth  or  Leather   Tops. 

3.75 

Regular  Price  tSM 

Men's  Baqister  Shoes 

All  Styles  and  Leathers, 

6.50 

Vtual  $730  Value 

Men's  Thomas  Cort  Shoes 

BENCH-MADE.  HAND-SEWED 

All  Styles  and  Leathers, 

8.50 

Usual  f  11-00  Value 


Jfranfclfn  Simon  £ 

Fifth  Avenue.  37th  and  38th  Sts. 


Co. 


Newspaper  advertisement  monot- 
onous in  arrangement,  wasteful  in 
blank  space  arrangement,  unorgan- 
ized in  form,  unpleasant  in  use  of 
many  types 


FUNCTIONS  AND  ELEMENTS  OF  DISPLAY 


217 


desire  for  beauty.  He  wants  it  because  he's  made  that  way. 
And  when  he  doesn't  produce  it  and  use  it,  it  is  only  because 
he  has  a  mistaken  view  as  to  what  beauty  is  and  as  to  how  to 
express  in  his  materials  the 
beauty  idea.  This  makes 
even  beauty  somewhat  a 
matter  of  science,  because 
the  laws  of  choice  and  ar- 
rangement in  any  mate- 
rials in  which  beauty  is  ex- 
pressed may  be  fairly 
clearly  stated  and  if  fol- 
lowed will  result  at  least 
in  the  training  to  appre- 
ciate the  general  combina- 
tions which  result  in 
beautiful  creation. 

Beauty,  then,  is  not  a 
matter  of  pure  feeling,  but 
a  matter  of  feeling,  or 
emotions,  plus  intelligence, 
or  intellect.  Persons  who 
recognize  that  both  of  these 
powers  are  active  in  beauty  development  will  be  able  to  create 
in  the  advertising  field  results  that  are  beautiful  as  well  as 
suited  to  the  purpose.  Beauty,  indeed,  becomes  a  distinct  sell- 
ing feature,  since  the  desire  or  appetite  for  it  is  as  clearly  de- 
fined in  the  individual  as  the  desire  for  companionship  or  the 
appetite  for  food  or  drink.  It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  a  man 
is  more  approachable  in  a  business  proposition  after  a  good 
meal  than  before  it.  He  is  also  more  approachable  when  com- 
modities are  put  before  him  in  a  beautiful  form  than  when 
ugliness,  unattractiveness  or  disorganization  of  material  is 
associated  with  the  article. 


GE O.C.FLINT  Co. 
R.J.HOR.NE.R.  Co. 

SUBSTANTIAL  REDUCTIONS 

10%  TO  50% 

Will  be  offered  during  the  month  of  August  as 
the  combined  two' stocks  of 
FURNITURE 

DECORATIONS 

RUGS 

make,  it  imperative  that  they  be  greatly  re- 
duced to  make  room  for  our  New  Fall  Styles 
arriving  daily. 

Flint  &  Horner  Co.  inc. 

20-26West36th.St 

New  \fcrk 


Advertisement  showing  exceeding- 
ly bad  distribution  of  copy  as  related 
to  blank  space.  Lack  of  organization 
destroys  interest  and  convincing 
power 


2i8  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF   ADVERTISING 

Elements  of  Advertising  Display. — As  we  have  already 
seen,  the  message  of  an  advertisement  is  conveyed  by  various 
symbols,  of  which  words  are  only  one  kind.  The  advertising 
language  includes  all  of  them  and  all  of  them  should  have  the 
art  quality.  As  the  "copy"  or  the  language  of  words,  how- 
ever, has  already  been  considered  separately,  we  may  pass  by 
this  element  and  consider  under  the  heading  "display"  only 
the  other  elements  of  the  advertising  language.  These  are 
five  in  number:  color,  illustration,  type,  ornament,  and  texture. 

Each  of  these  five  elements  has  its  own  well-defined  scope 
and  meaning  and  conveys  some  ideas  more  clearly  than  words 
can.  They  are  not  independent  of  one  another  or  the  copy, 
however,  but  must  always  be  considered  in  conjunction.  It  is 
an  unfortunately  frequent  occurrence  to  find  an  illustration 
that  creates  one  impression  and  establishes  one  set  of  asso- 
ciated ideas,  while  the  copy  in  its  choice,  arrangement,  and 
sequence  presents  an  entirely  different  condition  and  set  of 
ideas.  To  secure  the  art  quality  and  consequently  the  highest 
effectiveness  of  the  advertisement,  it  is  essential  that  the  ele- 
ments should  all  work  toward  the  same  ends.  For  that  reason 
we  must  know  the  meaning  and  values  of  each  of  the  elements 
of  advertising  display. 

i.  Color — The  first  and  probably  the  most  abused  of  all 
elements  is  that  of  color.  It  should  be  clearly  recognized  at 
the  outset  that  every  tone  of  color  is  scientifically  and  artistic- 
ally capable  of  expressing  and  does  express  its  own  definite 
idea.  For  example,  if  on  a  very  cold  night  one  finds  his  room 
unendurably  chilly  and  sees  before  him  two  robes,  each  of 
heavy  wool  and  equal  in  weight,  one  of  them  a  light,  clear 
blue,  the  other  a  deep,  rich  red,  which  will  he  instinctively  use 
to  create  the  feeling  of  warmth?  Surely  not  the  blue  one.  If, 
instinctively,  red  is  chosen  to  create  the  atmosphere  or  condi- 
tion of  warmth  of  spirit  or  exaggerated  action,  it  is  worth 


FUNCTIONS  AND  ELEMENTS  OF  DISPLAY  219 

using  ill  exploiting  those  ideas  in  advertising.  If,  on  the  other 
hand,  one  finds  that  the  color  blue  increases  the  initial  coolness, 
puts  a  damper  on  action,  lulls  and  soothes  the  excited  nerves, 
we  can  well  afford  to  take  cognizance  of  this  fact  in  adver- 
tising and  use  blue  to  express  these  ideas  of  coolness,  restraint, 
restfulness,  etc.  This  not  only  strengthens  the  copy  which 
uses  these  ideas  by  repeating  the  impression,  but  also  some- 
times reduces  essentially  the  amount  of  copy  required  to  carry 
an  idea. 

2.  Illustration. — A  second  and  very  important  element  of 
advertising  display  is  that  known  as  illustration,  or  picture. 
This  term  is  of  broad  scope. 
It  may  include  anything 
from  a  photograph  or  a 

Carefully    worked    OUt,    nat-  Sale  Am,o»neement 

uralistic,     detailed     delinea-  *• order  co  re<luce  *»  Ur«e  stock'°'  Elec"ic 

tion  of  any  object,  to  a  line- 
sketch     or     decorative     ar- 


THE  MITCHELL  VANCE  COMPANY 

836  AND  838  BROADWAY  —  AT  THIRTEENTH  STREET 


Chandeliers.  Bracket*,  table  Lamp*.  &c.   Will 
oier  treat  inducement!  to  buyer*,  in  many  case* 
•t  leu  than  half  the  regular  price. 
Original  model*  imported  from  England.  France  and  Italy 


Masterpiece* 


t  example*  ol  A  merican  handicraft 


together  t 
An  unu 


opportunity  to  fecure  individual  finurei  (or  your  home 

Suitable  for  Wedding  Presents  and  Holiday  Gifts 


rangement      of     any     idea 
which    is    to    be    submitted 

through    displav       The   pic-       Good  distribution  of  blank  space  for 

..  attention  value 

ture  language   is  a  general 

one,  more  general  than  any  word  language  on  earth.  Even 
we  Americans  understand  somewhat  the  meaning  of  the  pic- 
ture language  of  primitive  races  and  certain  highly  civilized 
ones  like  the  Japanese  or  Chinese. 

The  use  and  abuse  of  illustration  is  a  matter  for  further 
consideration.  May  it  not  be  clearly  seen  even  at  this  point, 
however,  that  if  we  are  advertising  in  copy  one,  two,  or  three 
definite  ideas  which  we  wish  to  have  grasped  in  their  relative 
order,  or  if  we  are  trying  to  create  the  idea  of  the  quality  of 
refinement  or  firmness,  it  is  absolutely  absurd  to  introduce  a 
picture  of  somebody  or  something  which  expresses  none  of 


220  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

these  ideas  or  has  none  of  these  qualities?  If  we  say — in  our 
words — that  a  thing  is  refined,  our  color  and  our  illustration 
must  repeat  that  idea.  If  we  are  advertising  hosiery,  the 
naturalistic  bust  picture  of  a  grinning  woman  is  not  exactly 
relevant  to  the  idea.  Not  only  is  such  an  illustration  absurd 
as  having  no  relation  whatever  to  the  subject,  but  it  is  absurd 
to  believe  that  anyone  can  think  of  two  things  at  once,  or  that 
such  a  thing  will  not  materially  detract  from  tbe  power  of  the 
individual  ever  to  concentrate  upon  hosiery  or  its  qualities. 

3.  Ornament. — The  third  important  element  in  art  language 
is  that  known  as  ornament  or  decoration.  There  is  a  difference 
between  decoration  and  ornamentation.  Decoration  exists 
never  for  itself,  but  always  for  the  thing  before  which  it  goes. 
When  it  becomes  aggressive,  impertinent,  or  ostentatious,  and 
shows  off  before  the  main  idea,  it  is  in  bad  taste  and  is  no 
longer  decoration.  On  the  other  hand,  ornamentation  exists 
to  show  itself  and  uses  the  thing  upon 'which  it  is  applied  as  a 
vehicle  for  exposing  itself. 

Decoration  must  never  appear  more  prominent  than  the 
copy  or  the  other  necessary  material  out  of  which  the  display 
is  made.  The  intensely  bad  taste  of  elaborate  borders,  over- 
ornamented  initials,  grotesque  head-  and  tail-pieces,  is  a  result 
of  misconception  as  to  the  difference  between  the  decorative 
idea  and  the  ornamental  one. 

Again,  historic  ornamentation  is  the  direct  result  of  the 
crystallization  of  ideas.  These  pieces  of  ornament  have  come 
to  stand  for  certain  ideas  as  clearly  as  words  do.  For  example, 
the  qualities  of  classic  construction  and  decoration  are  ex- 
pressed by  Greek  motifs.  These  qualities  are  primarily  sim- 
plicity, sincerity,  and  consistency.  These  motifs  can  scarcely 
be  used  except  where  great  restraint  or  simplicity  is  desired. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  motifs  of  the  French  Renaissance  are 
out  of  the  consciousness  of  the  life  in  which  men  play— frivol- 


FUNCTIONS  AND  ELEMENTS  OF  DISPLAY  22I 

ity,  insincerity,  vanity,  instability,  and  such  like  characteristics. 
Vanity  boxes  and  allied  products  seem  a  little  more  relevant 
when  enclosed  in  some  French  motifs  than  Greek  ones;  while 
on  the  other  hand,  building  materials,  fine,  solid  old  furniture, 
and  kindred  objects,  appear  more  satisfactory  when  associated 
with  the  classic  idea. 

4.  Type. — With  a  clearer  understanding  of  the  importance 
of  form  in  the  various  fields  of  art  expression,  such  as  archi- 
tecture, decoration,  and  other  phases  of  composition,  there  is 
coming  an«understanding  of  the  importance  of  choice  in  type. 


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bound  incloth  and  include  the  complete  index  to  each  volume.  We  have  on'y  a  limited  supply  on  hand. 

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Attractive,  interesting  and  convincing  arrangement  within  a  horizontal 
oblong,  dignified,  restful,  well  built,  and  pleasing 

One  of  the  most  important  things  in  advertising  display  is  the 
creating  of  an  atmosphere,  or  mental  state,  of  harmony,  relax- 
ation, and  pleasure.  Even  set  types  are,  by  their  form,  the 
expressions  of  ideas  quite  distinct  from  those  of  other  forms. 
Hand-made  letters  may  be  made  to  express  almost  any  qual- 
ity, by  the  proportion  of  their  sizes,  the  ratio  of  height  to 
width,  the  width  of  line,  and  other  accessory  form  arrange- 
ments. 

If  a  man  is  exploiting  paving  stones  or  bricks,  or  even 
heavy  machinery,  he  needs  to  express  his  idea  in  type  that  is 
heavy,  strong,  compact — in  short,  to  embody  as  many  of  the 
qualities  or  characteristics  of  the  object  he  exploits  as  he  pos- 
sibly can.  The  repetition  of  the  quality  in  any  new  form  of 


222 


THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 


Here's  The  Number  Four 
Hartness  Automatic  Die 


display  adds  just  so  much  strength  and  power  to  the  appeal 
that  is  made.  If  the  qualities  of  the  commodity  are  of  a  more 
ephemeral,  dainty  sort,  a  type  should  be  used  whose  form,  pro- 
portion, and  arrangement  express  clearly«these  qualities.  This 

view  of  type  places  form  in 
its  proper  relation  to  word 
meaning,  color  significance, 
and  the  function  of  the  il- 
lustrative picture. 

5.  Texture. — Not     much 
attention   has  been  paid   to 
the  selection  of  stock  papers 
as  expression  of  the  idea  of 
quality.       In    the    case    of 
newspapers    and    magazines 
and    such    work,    where    a 
fixed  kind  of  paper  is  used, 
the  question  of  selection,  of 
course,  is  not  pertinent.   But 
in  catalogues,  circulars,  let- 
An  excellent  arrangement  of  copy    ter-heads,    etc.,   it   is   of  the 
and  illustrations  properly  placed  and    utmost   importance  that   the 
embodying  the  qualities  essential   in  ..  .  £ 

a  good  display  quality   of  texture   form   a 

consideration  in  the  concep- 
tion of  advertising  display  as  a  language  of  expression. 

Texture  is  the  term  which  expresses  the  quality  one  gets 
through  the  sense  of  touch  or  feeling.  By  association  these 
ideas  of  hardness,  smoothness,  roughness,  compactness,  por- 
ousness, thinness,  etc.,  are  associated  in  the  mind  in  such  a 
way  that  we  seem  to  see  these  ideas  or  qualities  when  they  ap- 
pear in  objects  presented  to  the  sense  of  sight.  Since  the  eye 
recognizes  instantly  such  qualities  as  strength,  permanence, 
delicacy,  weakness,  daintiness,  grossness,  compactness,  etc., 


TT  will  cut  any  thread  (rom  '.'.32  pitch  u~p~  16  H'-5  pitch,  or  '.'-7 
1  pitch.  Note  that  this  die  will  thread  pitches  as  fine  as  32 
per  inch,  on  any  diameter  within  iu  capacity,  even  the'  larg- 
est. What  range  do  you  get  from  your  automatic  die  holder 
of  corresponding  size?  We  invite  comparison  of  our  diet 
with  those  of  other  design  on  this  or  any  other  practical  basu.. 

JONES  8  LAMSON  MACHINE  COMPANY 

Spnngfield.  Vennont.  USA        97  Queen  Vinoria  Street.  London.  E.  C. 


FUNCTIONS  AND  ELEMENTS  OF  DISPLAY 


223 


in  paper  stocks,  it  is  desirable  that  stock  be  made  to  do  its 
part  both  in  the  creation  of  the  desired  atmosphere  and  also 
in  the  expression  of  the  fundamental  idea  of  the  advertise- 
ment. 


6.  The  Importance  of  Form. — If  it  is  clearly  seen  that 
copy,  illustration,  ornament,  type,  color,  and  texture  are  all  of 
them  elements  of  this  new  language  and  that  each  element  is, 
in  itself,  a  force  and  power  to  be  reckoned  with,  there  remains 


ASHLAND  BRICK 

is  specially  made  for  Metal- 
lurgical and  Chemical  work. 


ASHLAND  FIREBRICK  COMPANY 

A3HLAND  KENTUCKY 


y^HLAND  BRICK  specially 
^  made  for  Metallurgical  and 
Chemical  Work. 


ASHLAND  FIRE  BRICK  COMPANY 

ASHLAND. 


First  half  shows  a  structural,  well-built,  interesting,  and  convincing 
advertisement  with  sane  distribution  and  copy  well  related  to  back- 
ground. Border  sufficient.  Second  half  shows  same  copy  badly  grouped, 
badly  related,  type  too  small,  initial  distracting,  and  frame  out  of  pro- 
portion to  copy. 

but  one  necessary  premise  in  outlining  the  distinctive  points 
we  are  to  consider,  namely,  the  importance  of  layout  or  form. 

The  importance  of  a  knowledge  of  form  in  connection 
with  any  art  work  is  too  well  understood  to  require  any  dis- 
cussion here.  It  is  a  basis  for  everything  else.  No  matter 
how  much  or  how  fine  the  material  in  any  constructed  thing, 
if  this  material  is  unorganized  and  badly  formed,  the  result  is 
chaotic.  Fine  bricks,  expensive  woods,  desirable  furniture, 
artistic  rugs  and  pictures,  may  not  result  in  a  beautiful  house. 
The  careful  construction  and  arrangement  of  these  is  as  surely 
a  criterion  as  is  their  choice  in  the  beginning. 

In  advertising,  form  or  layout  is  a  matter  of  building  or 


224  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

arranging  within  certain  limits  certain  material  to  express  par- 
ticular ideas.  The  edges  of  the  paper,  or,  the  limits  of  the 
space  used,  form  a  structural  line — a  building  line  which  de- 
termines in  a  way  the  general  arrangement  of  copy,  illustra- 
tions, and  other  matters  which  are  to  be  placed  within  each 
space.  Both  ideas  and  atmosphere  in  advertising  are  in  a 
great  measure  dependent  upon  the  form  which  these  elements 
of  display  take  in  their  final  arrangement.  Form  is  accord- 
ingly an  important  factor  in  the  question  of  advertising  dis- 
play. It  will  be  treated,  with  an  analysis  of  its  various  prin- 
ciples, in  a  subsequent  chapter. 

Advertising  display  then  is  indeed  a  language.  It  depends, 
like  all  other  applied  art  expression,  first,  upon  a  knowledge 
of  the  commodity  to  be  exploited,  and,  second,  upon  one's 
conception  of  how  human  beings  act  individually  and  in 
masses  under  certain  circumstances.  It  also  implies  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  scientific  meaning  and  artistic  combination  of 
copy,  illustration,  ornament,  type,  and  texture  in  one  unit 
whose  ideas  are  relevant,  sequential,  and  presented  with 
the  idea  of  fitness  to  purpose  and  beauty  in  arrangement. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

THE   PRINCIPLES   OF   FORM 

Importance  and  Meaning  of  Form. — Because  of  the  su- 
preme importance  of  form  in  every  made  thing,  it  seems  wise 
to  look  carefully  into  this  phase  of  the  subject  before  discus- 
sing further  the  elements  of  advertising  display.  The  prin- 
ciples of  form,  like  other  abstract  principles,  should  be  clearly 
understood,  and  the  effect  of  their  use  and  abuse  tested.  Then 
one  needs  to  know  that  all  rules  have  exceptions  and  to  modify 
each  individual  case  according  to  commonsense.  The  slavish 
follower  of  any  general  rule  will  often  ignore  another  rule  of 
equal  value  and  defeat  the  end  he  has  in  view  besides.  Know 
principles  of  construction  in  any  field  thoroughly;  then,  like 
the  poet  or  other  genius,  defy  them  for  good  reasons  only. 

The  building  of  an  advertisement  or  of  anything  else  de- 
mands a  conscious  plan  of  organization  in  which  all  the  ele- 
ments used  are  considered  in  relation  to  each  other  and  in  rela- 
tion to  the  laws  or  principles  of  their  arrangement.  In  design- 
ing a  house,  the  architect  considers  not  only  its  function  and 
cost,  but  the  materials  out  of  which  it  is  made.  He  sees  their 
possibilities,  their  limitations,  and  then  decides  the  proportion 
of  space  and  surface  to  be  allotted  to  each  particular  detail  in 
his  creation.  When  the  general  structure  of  the  walls  has  been 
determined  he  plans  and  arranges  all  subordinate  parts  within 
these  bounding  structure  walls  and  in  direct  relation  to  them. 
The  gable,  the  doors,  the  windows,  the  cornice,  and  other 
minor  details  of  the.  facade  are  related  each  structurally  and  in 
due  proportion,  the  lines,  vertical  and  horizontal,  which  are  the 
limits  of  the  fagade  itself. 

From  this  illustration  we  may  derive  the  first  principle  of 

225 


226  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

form,  which  is  called  the  "Principle  of  Consistent  Structural 
Unity." 


Lord  Help  Apprentices 

depending  on  foremen  to  teach  them  anything! 
exclaimed  a  Craftsman  at  our  November  meeting. 

There's  more  truth  than  jest  in  that  statement.  It  brings  to  mind  one 
of  the  most  important,  and  also  one  of  the  most  neglected,  problems 
of  the  printing  business.  How  are  you  superintendents  and  foremen 
of  New  York  printing  plants  "breaking  in"  the  apprentices?  -How 
many  boys  are  running  around  your  shop  subject  to  anybody's  beck 
or  call?  What  personal  effort  have  you  made  to  improve  the  alleged 
"system"  under  which  your  apprentices  are  "learning  their  trade"  ?  Any? 
Whether  you  have  or  not,  this  problem  will  be  turned  inside  out  at 
our  next  meeting  by  a  man  who  through  years  of  hard  work  and 
special  study  has  more  than  made  good  in  this  particular  endeavor. 

The  Apprentices:  Training  Those  Who  Are  to 
Succeed  Us.  Dr.  J.  L.  Elliott,  of  Hudson  Guild, 

will  make  a  straightforward,  interesting  presentation  on  the  every- 
day work  of  a  "man  on  the  job."  Dr.  Elliott  knows  his  problem 
thoroughly  from  center  to  circumference  and  will  tell  us  all  about  the 
system  that  has*  made  his  efforts  so  successful.  This  talk  will  surely 
prove  a  vigorous  spur  to  a  greater  and  more  personal  effort  on  the  part 
of  all  earnest  Craftsmen  in  helping  the  apprentices  under  their  charge 
to  become  better  and  more  efficient  printers,  not  necessarily  from  a 
humanitarian  standpoint,  but  because  it  pays — and  because  it  pays  big. 
Charles  Francis,  President  of  the  New  York  Printers'  League,  says 
"Dr.  Elliott  is  doing  a  work  single  handed  that  the  Master  Printers 
should  be  doing  themselves."  Charles  McCoy,  Business  Manager  Print- 
ing Trade  News,  says:  "The  work  Dr.  Elliott  is  doing  is  so  thorough,  its 
benefits  so  great  to  the  trade,  that  he  should  receive  unstinted  encourage- 
ment." Many  others  speak  just  as  enthusiastically  of  the  doctor's 
work.  Be  sure  to  come  and  hear"  Dr.  Elliott  and— try  to  bring  a  guest 

Put  a  memo  on  your  calendar  under  date  of  December  19 
to  be  at  the  Broadway  Central  Hotel,  673  Broadway  (between 
3rd  and  4th  Sts.)  at  7:30  p.m.  Members  $1.50.  Guests  $2.00. 
For  tickets,  address  J.  Dowling,  419  Lafayette  St.,  New  York 


Page  illustration   showing  perfectly  consistent,   structural,  well-margined 
page  and  well-distributed  sizes  of  type  matter 


THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  FORM 


227 


Consistent  Structural  Unity. — The  general  plan  or  shape 
of  all  advertising  space  is  either  square  or  oblong — generally 
the  latter.  Sometimes  the 
oblong  is  vertical,  as  in  the 
single-column  newspaper 


WESTERN  UNION 


or  whole-magazine  adver- 
tisement. Sometimes  the 
space  is  horizontal,  as  in 
the  car-card  or  letter-head. 
In  either  case,  the  form  is 
very  much  the  same  as  the 
facade  of  the  house  or  the 
inside  wall  space  of  a 
room.  The  structure  is 
rectangular.  The  boundary 
is  composed  of  straight 
lines.  This  determines  the 
general  feeling  of  all  well- 
arranged  material  within 


has  greatly  reduced  the 
cost  of  cabling  abroad 
through  the  introduction  of 

CABLE  LETTERS 

Over-night  service  to 
Europe  at  a  minimum 
charge.  Example: — A 
twelve-word  cable  letter 
from  New  York  to  London 
costs  only  75  cents. 

Ask  for  rate*  from  yoar  city, 

THE  WESTERN  UNION  TELEGRAPH  CO. 


Newspaper  advertisement,  structur- 
ally good,  good  margins,  border  a  little 
too  strong 


this  enclosed  space:  that  is,  the  edges  of  paragraphs  as  well 
as  the  lengths  of  the  lines  themselves  should  be  so  arranged 
as  to  give  the  general  feeling  of  right-angular  form,  in  har- 
mony with  the  edge  line  of  the  enclosing  space.  The  principle 
is  illustrated  in  the  advertisements  on  this  and  the  opposite 
page. 

Even  where  the  body  is  well  formed,  one  often  finds  the 
leading  head  display  lines  or  the  foot  display  in  extraordinarily 
bad  form.  The  head  should  be  constructed  in  as  nearly 
horizontal  oblong  feeling  as  possible;  the  foot  as  well.  If 
either  of  these  must  vary,  better  the  head  than  the  foot.  This 
is  because  it  is  essential  that  the  page  have  a  sufficient  foun- 
dation so  that  material  upon  it  may  seem  to  be  well  supported. 
Weakness  at  the  end  of  anything  is  unpleasant.  It  is  par- 
ticularly so  when  a  structure  seems  to  rest  upon  a  weak  foun- 
dation. 


With  a  NELSON 


Two  Spindle 
Adjustable 


Drill 
Head 


You  Pay 
for  One  Hole 

That's   fundamental — you    can't 
get  away  from  it  unless  some  phil- 
anthropist offers  to  drill  your  holes  for 
nothing.    But  if  you  use  a  single  spindle 
drill  you  pay   for   the   same   price   for 
each  and  every  hole.     Intensive   manu- 
facturing methods  of  the  present  day 
have  proved  this   to  be  a  wasteful, 
inefficient  practice — and  this  tool 
offers     you     the     way     out. 
Equip   your    drills    with 
it — 


Capacity  If-in.  to  8f-m.  between  centers.    Note  the  extra  strong  construc- 
tion, casing  of  all  gears  (they  run  in  an  oil  bath).    Drills  instantly  and  posi- 
tively locked  in  any  position. 
The  coupon  brings  you  complete  details.   Send  it  to  us  TODAY. 


And  You  Get 
the  Other  One  FREE 


Nelson-BIanck  Manufacturing  Co., 


Detroit,  Mich. 


Nelson-BIanck  Mfg.  Co. 
Detroit,  Mich. 

Please  send  me  details  on  "Drilling  the  Other  Hole  Free."    No  obligation 
to  me. 


Name 

Finn 

Address. . . 


Trade  paper  page,  showing  unrelated  shapes.     Splendidly  placed,  well 
distributed,  interesting  and  convincing 


228 


THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  FORM 


229 


Consistent  Shapes  and  Sizes.— 
The  second  principle  of  form  is 
called  "Consistent  Shapes  and 
Sizes."  Let  us  consider  the  first 
part  of  this  alone.  Shape  or  form 
is  seen  because  of  bounding 
edges.  The  circle,  which  is  a 
plane  figure  bounded  by  a  curved 
line  changing  its  direction  equally 
at  every  point,  and  the  square, 
which  is  a  plane  figure  bounded 
by  four  straight  lines  of  equal 
length  and  having  four  right 
angles,  are  two  forms  as  inhar- 
monious as  two  can  be.  Their 
bounding  lines  have  nothing  in 
common.  Because  this  is  so,  it  is 
difficult  to  place  the  circle  in  the 
square,  or  oblong,  with  any  ap- 
pearance of  harmony  . 

The  placing  of  a  round  clock 
within  an  oblong  space  upon  the 
wall,  or  placing  a  round  picture 
next  to  a  square  or  oblong  one, 
creates  an  ugly,  discordant,  and 
inartistic  spotting.  To  place  the 
round  cut  in  the  oblong  space,  or 
to  use  a  curved-line  trade-mark 
adjacent  to  straight  lines  of  print 
or  paper  edges,  has  precisely  the 
same  effect.  Someone  will  doubt- 
less say,  "The  cut  is  designed  to 
call  special  attention  to  it/'  This 
is  true,  but  it  is  not  essential  to 


Combine  Pleasure 
with  Business 

GOTO 

Philadelphia 


OVER  TOE 


See  some  of  the  most  beautiful 
scenery  in  New  Jersey.  Ride  in 
comfort  in  a  perfectly  equipped 
train  over  a  perfectly  smooth 
roadbed.  Enjoy  a  bountiful 
breakfast,  luncheon  or  dinner, 
promptly  and  courteously  served 

Hard  Coal  No  Smoke  No  Tunnels 

Your  Watch  Is 
Your  Time  Table 

Every  Hour  on  the  Hour  fast  trains 
leave  Liberty  Street  from  7  A.  M.  to  10 
P.  M.  weekdays;  8  A.  M.  to  11  P.  M. 
Sundays.  Midnight  train  daily ;  Sleep- 
ers ready  10  P.  M.  (Leave  West  23d 
St.  10  minutes  of  the  hour  for  all  trains.) 


Newspaper  column  adver- 
tisement. Lower  two-thirds 
structural  and  well  distrib- 
uted. Upper  one-third  loose, 
non-structural,  and  badly 
handled 


GAS  ENGINES 

Absolutely  MthoutCost 

•This  is  the  new  invention  we  mentioned  in  recent  issues  of  Power,  which  would 
b.  of  interest  to  »U  user,  of  internal  combultion  engines. 


This  will  announce  to  the  public  The  Meriam  Steam 
Process  by  means  of  which  steam  can  be  generated  by 
the  ordinary  gas  engine. 

This  process  has  recently  been  demon- 
strated and  tested  before  various  engineering 
organizations  and  prominent  engineers;  the 
tests  showing  in  excess  of  4  Ibs.  of  water  evap- 
orated into  steam  at 


25  Ibs.  pressure  for 
each  horsepower  hour 
delivered  by  the  en- 
gine. 

Several  installa- 
tions of  this  process 
are  already  in  opera- 
tion and  are  showing  almost  unbelievable 
results. 

No  public  announcement  has  previous- 
ly been  made  by  The  Bruce-Macbeth 
Engine  Co.  or  the  inventor,  Mr.  ].  B. 
Meriam,  as  it  was  then-  desire  to  first  be 
absolutely  positive  regarding  the  prac- 


STEAM  PROCESS 


ticability  of  the  process  and  the  perfection  of 
mechanical  equipment.  From  the  few,  how- 
eVer,  who  have  seen  demonstrations,  orders 
are  already  coming  in. 

.    Meriam  Steam  Process 

is  applicable  to  all 
internal  combustion 
engines,  whether  op- 
erated on  natural  gas, 
city  gas,  coal  or  oil. 
Full  particulars  re- 
.  garding  this  new  de- 
velopment will  be  ma'led  to  any  reader  of 
"Power"  without  cost. 

If  interested  in  a  combined  plant,  which 
affords  the  advantages  of  a  steam  plant  with 
the  wonderfully  low  .operating  cost  of  a  gas 
plant,  write  us 
tor  estimate. 


Brotherhood  of  Licensed  Steam  Engineers 
No.  1 ;  attending  a  lecture  and  demonstra- 
B. Meriam  at  the  plant  of  The 
Bruce-Macbeth  Engine  Co.  March  17,  1914. 
Ask  for  pamphlet  of  this  lect 


rnoine  |g 


Page  showing  badly  placed  illustrations,  badly  chosen  type,  badly  arranged 
copy,  too  much  border  and  too  much  illustration  for  one  page 


230 


THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  FORM 


231 


create  an  ugly  condition  to  attract  attention.  There  are 
sufficient  ways  to  emphasize  any  point  without  violating 
flagrantly  the  laws  of  form  and  color.  When  cuts  or  trade- 
marks are  bounded  by  curved  or  erratic  lines  they  must  be 
placed,  through  an  understanding  of  the  law  of  balance  and 
the  optical  center,  in  such  a  way  that  when  they  are  supported 
by  type  or  other  material  their  vicious  contrast  is  less  notice- 
able. Illustrations  of  the  right  and  wrong  uses  of  these 
things  may  be  found  in  the  accompanying  advertisements. 

The  second  part  of  this  principle,  which  is  known  as  "Con- 
sistent Sizes,"  should  have,  perhaps,  a  more  thorough  explana- 
tion than  the  foregoing,  because  upon  a  clear  understanding 
of  it  depend  largely  the  relationships  in  size  which  will  exist 
in  the  advertisement — matters  of  margins,  blank  spaces,  ar- 
rangement, blocks  of  copy,  size  of  illustrations,  width  of  bor- 
ders, proportion  of  initials.  It  is  the  clear  understanding  of 
such  matters  as  these  that  secures  pleasant  relationships  in 
sizes  in  any  material  with  which  we  deal. 

The  Greek  Law  of  Areas. — The  Greeks,  more  than  any 
other  people  that  have  ever  lived,  made  their  life  ideal  the 
study  of  intellectual,  impersonal  form.  Through  centuries  of 
mental  and  physical  training  they  developed  the  most  nearly 
perfect  human  figures  that  have  ever  been  known.  They  also 
evolved  a  simple,  consistent,  and  sincere  intellectual  architec- 
ture and  ornament  which  have  been  the  well-spring  of  inspira- 
tion for  all  succeeding  schools  except,  perhaps,  the  Gothic. 

The  Greek  avoided  exact  mechanical  divisions  wherever 
possible.  He  never  made  a  thing  twice,  three  times,  or  four 
times  the  size  of  another.  Second,  he  was  as  careful  not  to 
use  two  areas  which  the  mind  found  it  difficult  to  compare, 
as  he  was  to  avoid  using  exact  multiples.  An  area  of  3  square 
inches  is  not  comparable  with  one  of  25  square  inches,  but  one 
of  3  square  inches  and  one  of  5  square  inches  are  easily  com- 
parable. The  Greek  avoided  such  combinations  as  the  first. 


The  Rage  of  a  Spring  Freshet 

Could  Not  Harm  These  American  Ingot  Iron  Culverts 


Sweeping  down  from  the  hills,  the  waters  of  a  spring 
freshet  tore  out  a  road— tossed  broken  pavement  like 
chips— and  cannonaded  the  culverts  with  debris. 


The  Culverts  Were  Armco  American  Ingot 
Iron.  They  were  not  injured  in  any  way. 
Strains  that  ruined  the  concrete  bulkheads 
were  withstood— stresses  of  every  kind 
endured. 

Armco  Iron  Culverts  prove  their  worth  in 
service.  Under  conditions  that  would  be 
fatal  to  most  culverts,  these  stand  up 
triumphantly — and,  if  forced  away  from 
their  places,  as  in  the  case  above,  may 
readily  be*  hauled  back  and  re-installed, 
upon  which  ^hey  are  ready  to  give  good 
service  'again. 

•ii  Co  "xt'/HoId  "SiVpiy  *  Metil  Co. 


Armco  Culverts  have  strength,  natural 
ability  to  withstand  severe  wear  and 
the  forces  of  corrosion,  and  the  flexibility 
to  conform  to  a  shifting  bed.  Their  cor- 
rugations enable  them  to  readily  adjust 
themselves  to  expansion  and  -contraction. 
These  are  the  culverts  for  the  difficult 
places. 

Write  the  nearest  manufacturer  for  par* 
ticulars  and  prices  on  American  Ingot  Iron 
Armco  Culverts,  Sheets,  Plates,  Roofing 
and  Formed  Products. 


"*wCfc:rx<iaii"'Mei!u 


Peuuy'viinU  \Vetil  C^Uvert 
Pennsylvania  McUl  Culrtrt 


.      Ftp.  Co, 

Lyle  Corrugated  Culvert  Co. 
Mlnnrioli.   Lrl* 
Lyto  CorrucftMd  Culvert  Co, 


"SfoauIk'cuKSt'c 


Showing  bi-symmetric  placing  of  trade-mark,  weH  placed  illustration 
and  well  balanced  copy.  Margins  bad;  illustration  too  large  for  so  much 
copy 


232 


THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  FORM  233 

The  law  of  his  practice  may  be  stated  in  general  in  these 
terms:  Distances  or  areas  are  subtle  and  pleasing  together 
when  one  of  them  is  between  one-half  and  two-thirds  the 
length  or  area  of  the  other.  This  leaves  quite  a  play  or  differ- 
ence in  length  or  size  as  circumstances  develop  that  need  in- 
dividual treatment,  but  at  the  same  time  avoids  bringing  to- 
gether crude  and  incomparable  lengths  and  sizes. 

This  law  should  be  considered  in  connection  with  one  other 
important  point  before  its  concrete  applications  are  made. 
Every  student  is  familiar  with  what  is  known  as  the  "Law 
of  Optics."  The  exact  center  of  a  page  is  not  the  apparent 
center;  the  apparent  center  is  a  little  above  the  real  or  exact 
one.  Because  this  is  so,  the  weight  or  strength  of  the  display 
should  appear  above  the  real  center  of  the  advertising  space. 
This  prevents  the  feeling  of  dropping  from  the  top,  or  sag- 
ging, as  it  may  be  called,  either  of  which  feelings  not  only 
destroys  the  artistic  merit,  but  creates  an  uncomfortable  con- 
dition in  the  mind  of  the  reader. 

This  Greek  law  of  proportion  is  sometimes  crudely  stated 
as  the  ratio  of  5  to  7  to  n.  This  is  perhaps  near  enough  to 
work  with.  In  applying  this  ratio  to  the  margins  of  a  page  it 
will  be  clearly  seen  that  the  widest  margin — n — should  ap- 
pear at  the  bottom,  the  next  widest — 7 — at  the  top,  and  5 — 
the  narrowest — should  appear  alike  on  either  side  in  all  ver- 
tical compositions  of  space.  In  horizontal  compositions  the 
widest  margin  should  still  appear  at  the  bottom,  the  middle 
size  at  the  right  and  left,  and  the  narrowest  at  the  top. 

Not  only  should  the  Greek  law  of  areas  be  applied  to  mar- 
gins, but  also,  when  possible  without  interfering  with  the 
meaning  of  the  copy,  it  should  apply  to  the  width  and  strength 
of  the  various  parts  or  paragraphs  of  the  copy  within  the 
space.  When  it  is  possible  to  do  this,  the  effect  is  doubly 
pleasing.  There  is  also  often  a  chance  to  apply  these  propor- 
tions to  the  blank  space  between  different  parts  of  the  copy 


234 


THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 


display.  When  it  is  possible  to  do  so,  this  has  an  added  value. 
Not  enough  attention  is  paid  to  the  relative  widths  of  these 
blank  spaces.  Blank  space  is  often  more  eloquent  than  copy. 

Balance. — The  law  of  gravitation  is  responsible  for  the 
erect  position  of  human  beings  and  the  holding  of  other  ma- 
terial substances  in  proper  relation  to  the  surface  of  the  earth. 
The  merest  schoolboy  knows  the  power  of  this  force,  even 
though  he  may  give  little  or  no  thought  to  its  why  and  where- 
fore. Instinctive  knowledge  of  this  law  is  a  part  of  the  sub- 
consciousness  of  each  human  being.  It  is  so  much  a  part  of 

us  that  it  passes  unnoticed 
and  unthought  of,  but 
when  it  is  opposed  or 
challenged  its  power  is  im- 
mediately felt.  The  ap- 
plication of  the  principle 
of  gravitation  to  the  sense 
of  sight  is  called  "bal- 
ance." Balance  is  that 
principle  of  form  through 
which  rest  is  obtained. 
Because  through  balance 
rest  results,  we  instinct- 


SYNOL 

*Mp  OM*  hi  <k» 


la,  4)1  hvmfol  (via*,    fat  namerco.  BM  |U*M 


J7    Dr.Hl.te. 


Newspaper  advertisement  with 
good  grouping,  but  badly  balanced 
on  blank  space.  Last  two  lines  should 
be  brought  to  extreme  left 


ively  feel  in  the  balanced 
arrangement    a    sense    of 

dignity,  repose,  ease  and  organization.  Disorganization,  hap- 
hazard arrangement,  spotted  construction,  erratic  lines,  all  tend 
to  make  the  grasping  of  the  idea  difficult  or  impossible. 

Designers  in  every  field  realize  the  power  and  make  it  one 
of  the  fundamental  ideas  in  working  out  any  problem  which 
requires  dignity,  ease,  and  so  forth,  as  qualities  in  the  solution. 
There  are  two  types  of  balance  with  which  we  must  deal.  The 
first  is  that  known  as  bisymmetric  balance.  This,  as  the  term 


THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  FORM 


235 


signifies,  is  a  balance  on  which  there  is  an  equal  attraction  of 
shape,  size,  and  color  on  either  side  of  a  vertical  center-line 
drawn  through  the  com- 
position. Occult  balance, 
or  the  balanced  arrange- 
ment which  is  non-bi sym- 
metric, is  that  form  of 
balance  in  which  parts  are 
so  arranged  on  either  side 
of  the  vertical  center-line 
that  there  is  a  perfect 
feeling  of  equal  attraction 
without  the  one  side  hav- 
ing necessarily  the  same 
forms,  sizes,  or  colors,  as 
the  other  side.  This  last 
type  is  harder  to  sense 
and  harder  to  arrange.  It 
is  more  subtle,  more  in- 
teresting, and  of  greater 
possibilities,  but  is  less 
dignified,  less  formal,  less 
simple,  and  sometimes 
less  restful. 

Place  upon  a  mantel- 
piece in  the  exact  center 
some  statue  or  other  object.  Oh  either  side,  equidistant  from 
the  ends  and  from  the  center  object,  place  two  large  candle- 
sticks exactly  alike.  The  mantelpiece  has  a  bisymmetric  ar- 
rangement. Dignity,  repose,  simplicity,  easy  solution  of  the 
arrangement,  is  the  result. 

Again,  on  the  same  mantelpiece  place  a  large  vase  near 
the  center  but  not  in  it.  Attempt  with  two  very  different 
objects  to  balance  on  either  side,  one  larger  and  one  smaller, 


Old  English  Oak 

for  the  Room  of  To-day 

'J'HE  patrician  dignity  of  Ac 
dusky-hued  oaken  furniture  so 
blended  with  one's  memories  of 
ehe  Stately  Halls  and  Granges 
which  give  romantic  interest  to  the 
quiet  English  Countryside  may 
give  an  added  interest  to  the  plen- 
ishing of  the  Living  Rooms  of 
to-day. 

Among  the  Hampton  Shops 
.Reproductions  can  always  be 
found  such  characteristic  exam- 
ples of  masterly  craftsmanship  as 
the  Elizabethan  Court  Cupboard 
of  glossy  dark  oak  with  its  carven 
panels  and  turned  balusters  or  the 
buffet  table  with  its  convenient 
drawers  and  air  of  grave  simplicity. 


]4   and  36  Wett  Jid  St.,    New  York 
••twees  Fiftk  A»e,,  ««<  Brortvt? 


Newspaper  advertisement  showing 
well-placed  material,  except  last  three 
lines  which  should  be  moved  to  left 
and  two  last  lines  should  be  reset. 


236 


THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 


so  that  there  shall  seem  to  be  exactly  the  same  amount  of 
attraction  on  one  side  of  the  vertical  center  as  on  the  other. 
You  will  see  at  once  how  difficult  it  is  to  place  these  objects 
so  that  the  mantelpiece  does  not  seem  to  dip  down  at  one  end 
or  the  other.  Notice  that  if  the  central  object  is  a  little  to  the 
left  of  the  center  the  smaller  of  the  two  remaining  objects 
must  go  at  the  left  and  the  larger  at  the  right.  This  is  the 
solution  of  the  law.  Equal  attractions  balance  each  other  at 
equal  distances  from  the  center,  while  unequal  attractions  bal- 
ance at  unequal  distances  from  the  center,  and  further,  un- 
equal attractions  balance  each  other  at  distances  which  are 
in  inverse  ratio  to  the  power  of  their  attraction.  With  this 

in  mind  it  is  well  to  prac- 
tice arranging  in  other  fields 
than  the  display  field  and 
then  make  the  application  to 
one's  personal  problems. 

Balance,  then,  is  the 
principle  of  form  through 
which  even  circles  and 
other  erratic  forms  may  be 
distributed  throughout  the 
space  in  such  a  way  that 
a  sequence  of  ideas  is  real- 
ized and  organization  is  sim- 
ple enough  for  the  reader 
easily  to  get  the  thought. 


Our  interest-bearing  Certificates  of 
Deposit  are  a  good  "temporary  in- 
vestment" 

While  a  good  opportunity  for 
safe  and  profitable  permanent  in- 
vestment is  awaited,  money  can 
be  earning  interest  at  a  fair 
rate  and  be  perfectly  safe— by 
placing  it  with  us  on  Certificates 
of  Deposit.  The  money  will  be 
subject  to  demand,  or  payable  at 
a  convenient  future  date. 

Call'  upon  our  Officers  or  writ*  to  them  fot 
furth.r  information  on'  thii  subject  or  in  regard 
to  any  banking  or  trust  business  you  may  have 


BANKERS  TRUST  COMPANY 

It  W>U  Street,  N. w  York  City 

Capital,  »IQ,000.000     Surphi.,  J10.000.00O 


Newspaper  advertisement  with  il- 
lustration and  copy  well  balanced, 
except  last  two  lines  which  should  be 
moved  to  the  left  in  structure  with 
body.  Bad  interior  margins 

Movement. —  If   a   series 

of  spots  is  arranged  along  a  line  and  attention  is  directed  to 
one  of  these  spots,  it  instinctively  follows  to  the  next,  and  so 
on,  to  the  end  of  the  sequence.  If  in  place  of  the  spots  a  line 
is  drawn,  the  observer  is  still  more  inclined  to  follow  the  line 
to  its  limit.  If  the  spots  change  from  the  horizontal  position 


THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  FORM 


237 


downward,  then  upward,  we  find  ourselves  jumping  with  the 
spots  but  continuing  our  search  for  the  end  of  the  material 
arranged. 

The  creation  of  this  sit- 
uation is  brought  about 
through  a  principle  called 
the  "Principle  of  Move- 
ment." This  term  had  its 
origin  in  the  word  "action," 
or  "motion,"  which  is  the 
term  applied  to  the  human 
figure  in  any  position  in 
which  absolute  rest  is  not 
the  idea.  The  position  of 
the  figure  in  throwing  a  ball, 
jumping,  running,  etc.,  is 
called  the  position  of  action. 
This  is  because  the  lines  of 
the  figure  are  neither  strictly 
vertical  nor  strictly  horizon- 
tal in  harmony  with  the  laws 
of  gravitation.  When  this 
principle  of  motion  or  direc- 
tion is  created  in  the  abstract 
idea,  it  is  termed  movement. 
Movement,  then,  is  that  prin- 
ciple which  leads  the  eye  con- 
secutively through  the  parts 
of  a  composition  or  a  design. 

If  the  principle  is  correctly  used,  the  reader  of  a  page,  a  card, 
or  a  cover,  sees  in  sequential  order  the  things  one  wishes  him  to 
see,  with  final  emphasis  upon  the  thing  desirable  to  see  last. 

Movement  is  used,  then,  to  point  out  the  things  in  adver- 
tising display  that  the  creator  of  the  display  wishes  particu- 


The  suit  and  the  price  are 
both  as  light  as  reliability 
will  permit.  Two-piece  of- 
course,  unlined,  but  careful 
tailoring,  and  firm  fabrics 
make  it  hold  its  shape. 
Grays  have  the  coolest  look, 
but  the  darker  colors  if  you 
prefer. 

A  saving  of  $3.  to  $5.  on 
every  suit  you  buy, 


Local  newspaper  ad  illustrating 
well-balanced  material,  good  struc- 
ture and  movement  through  arms 
and  coat 


238  THE    PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

larly  to  feature.  The  simplest  and  most  hackneyed  methods 
are  the  use  of  the  arrow  and  the  dart,  the  pointing  of  the 
finger,  etc.,  but  there  are  other  phases  to  be  reckoned  with. 
Take  the  shoe,  for  an  example.  If  I  am  featuring  shoes  and 
use  the  cut  of  one  in  a  single  column  next  another  advertise- 
ment, and  place  my  shoe  toward  the  bottom  of  my  space  with 
the  toe  out,  I  can  easily  point  the  toe  at  the  other  advertise- 
ment in  such  a  way  that  the  motion  directs  attention  to  the 
other  copy  instead  of  to  mine.  To  be  effective,  the  motion  of 
any  illustration  should  be  toward  the  copy  it  accompanies. 

Movement  may  be  obtained  by  line,  as  in  the  case  of  the 
arrow;  by  a  sequence  of  spots,  like  the  use  of  small  illustra- 
tions one  after  the  other,  or  of  different  size  type  growing 
from  larger  to  smaller,  or  vice  versa;  by  the  single  object, 
whose  very  form  indicates  line  or  direction;  and  by  what 
is  known  as  gaze  movement,  which  is  a  very  important  phase 
in  relation  to  the  use  of  cuts.  It  often  happens  in  posters 
and  car-cards  that  the  figure  used  stands  or  sits  with  back 
toward  the  text  or  copy  and  faces  either  the  wall,  or  vacancy, 
or  another  advertisement.  Manifestly  this  is  a  waste.  In- 
stinctively the  observer  of  a  human  being  in  picture  form  is 
interested  in  what  that  picture  form  is  looking  at,  and  the  eyes 
of  the  person  in  the  illustration  should  either  be  looking  at 
the  observer  or  at  the  thing  in  the  illustration  that  is  of  para- 
mount value.  This  matter  of  gaze  movement  is  as  essential 
as  any  other  point  of  form. 

Movement  Structural  or  Rhythmic. — Movement  may  be 
said  to  be  either  structural  or  rhythmic.  Structural  movement 
is  the  movement  in  which  one  direction  comes  at  a  sharp  angle 
against  another  direction.  This  always  forms  a  juncture  point 
where  the  observer  is  bound  to  look.  Draw  a  straight  line  on 
a  blank  paper  at  right  angles  to  another  straight  line  until 
they  meet.  See  how  quickly  the  eye  goes  to  the  meeting  point. 


THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  FORM  239 

In  creating  forms  within  the  display  surface  use  care  that  .his 
structural  or  opposition  movement  does  not  occur  except  at 
places  where  you  want  very  emphatically  to  focus  public  at- 
tention. 

The  other  type  of  movement,  known  as  rhythmic,  is  that 
movement  in  which  the  same  general  direction  is  indicated 
without  violent  opposition.  I  might  be  looking  at  and  point- 
ing my  finger  at  the  same  thing.  These  movements  are  rhyth- 
mic with  each  other.  I  might  point  my  finger  or  look  and 
have  an  arrow  pointed  in  the  same  direction  with  these  move- 
ments crossing  each  other.  Rhythmic  movements  are  acces- 
sories each  of  the  other,  that  is,  one  repeats  or  emphasizes 
exactly  the  same  idea  as  the  other ;  while  movements  in  oppo- 
sition conflict  at  a  certain  point  for  the  express  purpose  of 
creating  a  turmoil  so  that  all  may  see  that  particular  point. 

Movement  is  the  exact  opposite  of  balance.  Balance  cre- 
ates rest,  repose,  formality,  dignity,  simplicity,  and  clearness. 
Movement  creates  motion,  unrest,  informality,  complexity,  and 
often  destroys  clearness.  It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  in  the 
use  of  this  principle  as  a  test  of  arrangement  not  only  that  it 
be  clearly  understood  but  that  its  use  in  excess  be  discoun- 
tenanced. 

Emphasis. — Stress  or  emphasis  is  the  principle  of  arrange- 
ment whereby  the  attention  is  directed  to  particular  things  in 
regular  order  of  procedure. 

Emphasis  in  copy  may  be  produced  by  change  of  type. 
Italics  are  the  change  usually  employed,  but  the  use  of  italics 
is  simply  traditional.  As  a  matter  of  fact  it  does  not  strengthen 
—it  weakens  by  its  very  form.  But  weakening  is  one  of  the 
ways  of  calling  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  order  has  changed. 
The  same  effect  may  be  produced  by  underlining,  by  writing 
the  word  in  caps  or  a  bolder  face,  or  any  other  variations. 
Many  times  it  seems  best  to  use  the  underline,  or  caps,  or 


240 


THE   PRINCIPLES   OF   ADVERTISING 


some  other  method  of  emphasizing  the  idea  rather  than  eter- 
nally following  the  traditional  italic  change.  This  form  of 
emphasis  is,  of  course,  a  change  in  shapes. 

The  change  in  shape  of  the 
entire  display  is  another  way 
of  securing  emphasis.  If  we 
have  been  following  the 
structure  edge  quite  closely, 
dropping  one  paragraph  be- 
low another  to  indicate  para- 
graph change  while  the 
edges  are  kept  straight  at 
right  and  left,  the  mere  act 
of  indenting  one  whole  para- 
graph a  little  at  the  left  and 
right  makes  a  change  in  or- 
der and,  therefore  secures 
attention.  If  a  cut  or  orna- 
ment is  of  different  form 
from  the  general  copy  out- 
lines, the  erratic  object  is, 
of  course,  emphasized  at 
once. 

Sometimes  an  effective 
emphasis  may  be  had  by 
changing  the  size  of  type  or 
contrasting  sizes  in  cuts. 


"Step  lively  please." 

It  will  pay  you  to  hurry  and 

select  before  the  assortment 

is  picked  over. 

Silk  shirts  of  the  $~  family 

now  $--  (not  many).    But 

a  plenty  of  the  fine  striped 

madras.    The   $2.50    kind 

now  $— 

Silk  and  linen,  fine  as  silk 

and  durable  as  linen,  now 

$-- 


Movement  through  motion  and  gaze 


This  contrast  of  size  is  based  on  the  law  that  a  small  thing 
seems  smaller  when  compared  with  a  large  one  and  a  large 
thing  larger  because  of  its  comparison  with  a  smaller. 

Emphasis  of  color  or  tone  is  perhaps  the  most  frequent 
type  of  all.  In  colored  plates,  emphasis  is  secured  through 
discreet  change  in  hue,  value,  and  intensity,  one  or  two  of 
these  qualities  being  employed  to  produce  the  emphatic  idea. 


THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  FORM  241 

(The  terms  hue,  value,  and  intensity  are  explained  in  the  next 
chapter). 

The  change  in  face  of  type  is  a  familiar  illustration  of  the 
use  of  color  value,  as  is  also  the  tendency  to  use  borders  in 
gray  and  tinted  gray  backgrounds,  with  cuts,  etc.  Perhaps 
there  is  no  better  illustration  of  the  emphasis  through  inten-, 
sity  than  that  seen  in  the  use  of  color  in  clothes.  A  man 
would  scarcely  think  of  wearing  a  brilliant  red  suit,  but  he 
might,  under  right  conditions,  chance  a  red  necktie,  the  tie 
by  its  intensity  and  placing  calling  attention  through  itself  to 
the  face  of  the  man  rather  than  his  feet. 

It  has  been  the  purpose  of  this  section  to  show  the  power 
of  form  and  arrangement  in  creating  an  advertising  displa}' 
which  by  its  qualities  should  appeal  naturally  to  the  reading 
public.  The  time  is  coming  when  any  constructed  thing  to  be 
convincing  must  at  least  have  the  qualities  of  organization, 
simple  dignity,  sane  form  construction,  restful  formality  or 
informality,  and  a  logical  intellectual  appeal.  If  the  principles 
of  form  are  studied,  sensed,  and  applied,  they  contribute  to 
this  end. 

It  must  be  clearly  borne  in  mind,  however,  that  no  prob- 
lem in  any  field  can  be  successfully  solved  by  slavishly  fol- 
lowing every  law  involved  in  its  solution.  To  follow  one  prin- 
ciple is  often  to  modify  another.  This  is  because  each  prin- 
ciple exists  to  create  positive  qualities.  It  is  often  desirable 
to  modify  these  qualities.  To  do  so,  one  must  know  the  law 
of  modification  and  the  effect  of  it.  Let  no  man  then  suppose 
that  in  any  problem  he  can  follow  every  law  of  form  and  be 
most  effective.  On  the  other  hand,  let  him  not  think  that  he 
can  afford  to  ignore  any  principle  of  form  and  yet  hope  to 
reach  his  highest  degree  of  efficiency. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

COLOR 

Source  and  Nature. — Color  is  light ;  it  exists  because  light 
exists.  As  light  fades  at  night  or  on  a  stormy  day,  colors 
change — grow  duller,  feebler ;  and  as  darkness  comes  they  dis- 
appear. The  brighter  the  day  the  brighter  the  color.  Many 
simple  experiments  prove  the  source  of  color  to  be  in  light. 

An  analysis  of  light  by  the  chemist  or  physicist  results  in 
three  elements,  each  of  which,  standing  by  itself,  may  convey 
an  idea.  These  elements  of  light,  however,  must  not  be  con- 
fused with  the  pigments  which  must  be  used  to  represent  them 
in  advertising  display  or  other  arts. 

The  term  pigment  is  applied  to  water  colors,  oils,  dyestuffs, 
printers'  inks,  and  like  materials,  which  seem  to  give  certain 
color  tones  to  objects  upon  which  they  are  placed.  It  is  ex- 
tremely important  that  one  realize  in  the  discussion  of  color 
from  the  standpoint  of  pigment  that  scientific  light  and  color 
pigment  are  not  the  same  thing,  and  that  because  of  limitation 
in  materials  the  representation  of  the  color  element  may  have 
another  name,  or  even,  perhaps,  a  slightly  different  appearance 
from  the  original. 

For  general  purposes  it  is  best  to  divide  pigment  study 
into  three  elements — yellow,  red,  and  blue.  These  elements 
of  pigment  fused  together  in  their  proper  ratio  produce  what 
is  known  as  a  pure  neutral  gray.  This  neutral  gray  has  no 
apparent  color  in  it.  Each  of  the  elements  has  destroyed  or 
helped  to  destroy  the  individuality  of  the  other  two,  the  color 
has  been  neutralized  or  annihilated,  and  neutral  gray  is  the 
result.  In  pure  light  the  union  of  the  three  elements  produces 
white.  With  pigments,  the  result  is  gray,  because  of  the  sedi- 

242 


COLOR  243 

ment,  or  the  non-transparent  quality,  of  the  pigment  itself. 
The  term  "spectrum"  has  been  given  to  these  three  ele- 
mentary tones  with  their  intermediate  steps,  which  will  be  dis- 
cussed later.  The  spectrum  circuit  has  these  tones  arranged 
in  circular  form. 

Spectrum  Colors  and  Their  Meanings — Yellow,  red,  and 
blue  are  called  primary  colors.  They  are  primary  because  they 
are  elemental ;  that  is,  each  is  a  single  thing  or  single  idea,  and 
perhaps  may  seem  to  express  but  a  single  quality. 

Yellow  expresses  light,  cheer,  vivacity,  pleasure;  it  looks 
nearest  like  the  sun,  the  moon,  or  artificial  light.  The  bene- 
ficial effect  of  the  sun  upon  plants  and  upon  the  physical  wel- 
fare of  human  beings  is  well  known.  The  color  yellow  has  a 
similar  effect,  because  of  the  mental  association  with  light  it- 
self and  the  effects  of  light  in  human  experience.  Experi- 
ments, made  in  dark. corridors  and  inside  sleeping-rooms  have 
proved  that  yellow  wall  paper  and  hangings  produce  a  light, 
cheerful  effect  which  finds  an  immediate  reaction  in  the  occu- 
pants' lives.  Yellow  is  the  color  most  luminous,  therefore 
most  penetrating.  These  facts  should  be  borne  in  mind  in 
choosing  color  for  display  to  be  seen  in  moderately  dark  places 
or  to  be  seen  mostly  in  the  open  sunlight.  It  should  also  be 
apparent  that  yellow  can  be  used  to  express  individual  ideas. 

Red  is  the  color  of  human  interest.  It  looks  like  fire.  It 
stirs  human  action,  causes  the  blood  to  move  more  rapidly,  ex- 
cites greater  mental  activity,  arouses  passion,  and  kindles  the 
feeling  of  warmth.  It  is  called  a  "hot"  color  and  in  its  fullest 
brilliancy  is  the  strongest,  the  most  irritating,  and  the  most  ag- 
gressive of  all  colors. 

Blue  is  restraint,  is  almost  the  opposite  of  red  in  its  feeling. 
It  soothes,  constrains,  sometimes  almost  repels — because  of  its 
very  nature.  It  is  called  the  "cold"  color.  Sometimes  the  so- 
called  steel  blue  gives  almost  the  sensation  of  freezing.  Be- 


244  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

cause  this  is  so,  blue  expresses  its  own  idea  or  quality  which 
no  other  color  can  express  for  it. 

These  colors,  being  elements,  should  be  carefully  consi- 
dered before  any  of  their  modifications  though  the  latter  are 
somewhat  more  interesting. 

If  equal  forces  of  yellow  and  red  are  combined,  orange  is 
the  result.  Equal  forces  of  yellow  and  blue  produce  green, 
while  like  forces  of  blue  and  red  produce  what  is  known  as 
violet  or  purple.  These  three  color  tones  are  called  binary 
colors  because  each  is  made  of  two  distinct  elements.  The 
binary  colors  have  a  double  significance.  Orange  is  light  and 
heat.  That  makes  a  conflagration  and  is  destructive  to  public 
consciousness  when  seen  in  large  quantities  misapplied.  A 
little  fire  is  a  good  thing,  but  a  big  one  may  do  much 
damage. 

Green  is  light  and  coolness.  Nothing  is  more  agreeable, 
particularly  in  summer,  than  a  light,  cool  spot  in  a  heated  car, 
or  in  other  places  where  display  ideas  most  abound.  Do  you 
notice  that  when  the  summer  is  hot,  the  grass  and  trees  are 
green  and  the  sky  is  blue  ?  These  are  the  antidotes  for  exces- 
sive heat. 

Violet  or  purple  is  an  equal  union  of  fire,  or  coals  of  fire, 
and  coolness,  or  ice.  Ashes  must  result.  This  is  the  color 
which  is  used  to  express  shadow.  It  is  the  opposite  of  yellow, 
its  complement,  its  destroyer.  It  neutralizes  cheer,  dispels 
light,  creates  gloom,  brings  on  the  night.  This  quality  of  feel- 
ing has  been  associated  with  purple  for  many  ages.  Royalty 
uses  this  color  for  masquerading  all  that  it  needs  to  masquer- 
ade; the  church  to  express  the  ideas  of  mysticism,  humility, 
and  devotion.  The  modern  woman  clothes  herself  in  it  to  ex- 
press half  as  much  sorrow  as  she  felt  when  she  wore  black 
only.  The  use  of  this  color  bears  not  only  a  relation  to  the 
idea  to  be  expressed,  but  it  bears  a  relation  to  the  amount  of 
light  in  which  the  display  must  be  exposed. 


COLOR  245 

Color  Terms  Defined— -Tone.— Perhaps  at  this  point,  for 
the  sake  of  a  common  understanding,  it  is  well  to  define  some 
terms  in  color  that  are  inaccurately  used.  "Tone"  is  the  term 
which  applies  to  any  color  note  whatsoever,  including  black, 
white,  and  gray.  It  is  so  general  that  when  you  are  in  doubt 
"tone"  is  perfectly  safe. 

The  term  "neutral"  is  applied  to  tones  in  which  no  color  is 
apparent.  Black,  white,  and  gray  are  neutral.  Black  is  the 
absence  of  color  and  white,  the  union  of  all  colors.  Black, 
therefore,  absorbs  color,  while  white  is  saturated  with  it  and 
does  not.  This  is  the  reason  why  white  as  a  background 
shows  things  stronger  than  black,  so  far  as  the  color  itself  is 
concerned.  The  question  of  value,  however,  may  change  this 
effect,  as  will  be  seen  later  in  the  discussion. 

Normal  colors  are  the  spectrum  colors  at  what  is  known  as 
their  maturity  point.  When  these  become  lighter  or  darker, 
change  their  hue  or  become  less  intense,  they  are  no  longer 
normal.  This  standardization  of  the  normal  color  makes  it 
possible  to  have  a  reckoning  point  in  all  color  tones  from 
which  to  compute  color  quality. 

A  shade  of  color  is  a  tone  which  is  darker  than  the  normal 
tone.  It  is  made  by  adding  black  or  a  darker  pigment  of  the 
same  color. 

A  tint  is  a  color  tone  which  is  lighter  than  the  normal  color. 
This  is  produced  by  adding  white  or  water.  The  tint  then  is 
weaker  than  the  normal  color,  because  it  is  diluted ;  the  shade 
is  stronger  as  to  body  but  weaker  as  to  color  also,  because  it  is 
likewise  diluted.  The  normal  color  is  the  strongest  color  note 
possible  in  any  given  color. 

It  will  be  seen  that  red  and  blue  may  have  more  tints  than 
shades ;  that  yellow,  green,  and  orange  have  more  shades  than 
tints ;  that  yellow  has  more  shades  than  violet ;  that  violet  has 
more  tints  than  yellow.  It  is  most  desirable  that  the  terms 
"tint"  and  "shade"  be  clearly  understood  and  that  these  terms 


246  THE    PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

be  not  misapplied.  Shade  indicates  the  normal  color  going  to- 
wards shadow  or  darkness ;  tint  means  the  normal  color  going 
towards  light  or  whiteness. 

Every  color  tone  has  three  distinct  qualities.  It  is  some- 
what difficult  to  see  these  qualities  each  distinct  from  the  other, 
but  the  full  force  of  color  cannot  be  understood  until  this  is 
done.  This  is  because  contrasts  in  the  use  of  these  qualities 
are  the  real  power  of  color  whereby  the  intensity  of  the  idea 
expressed  is  varied. 

Hue. — The  first  of  these  qualities  is  known  as  hue.  This  is 
the  general  name  given  to  the  change  which  a  color  undergoes 
in  moving  from  one  binary  in  either  direction  towards  a  prim- 
ary. All  of  the  possible  tones  which  are  produced  by  putting 
a  primary  into  a  binary  are  the  hues  oi  that  binary  color.  JUet 
us  illustrate. 

As  soon  as  I  begin  to  put  yellow  into  red,  red  changes  and 
moves  toward  yellow.  Any  tone  which  is  produced  before  the 
red  becomes  a  pure  orange  is  known  as  red  orange.  It  is 
orange  as  soon  as  it  leaves  red.  It  is  red  orange  because  there 
is  more  red  in  it  than  yellow.  On  the  other  hand,  if  I  begin 
by  putting  red  into  yellow,  the  color  becomes  orange  as  soon 
as  it  leaves  yellow,  but  it  is  yellow  orange  all  the  way  until  it 
reaches  orange.  It  is  yellow  orange  because  there  is  more 
yellow  present  than  red.  When  these  forces  become  equalized 
it  becomes  normal  orange. 

If  I  start  with  yellow  and  blue,  putting  yellow  into  blue, 
the  color  becomes  green  as  soon  as  it  leaves  pure  blue.  As 
long  as  it  is  more  blue  than  yellow  it  is  blue  green.  When  the 
forces  are  equalized  it  is  green.  The  moment  there  is  more 
yellow  than  blue  the  tone  is  yellow  green  and  su  remains  until 
no  blue  is  present,  when  once  again  it  appears  to  the  eye  as 
normal  yellow. 

In  the  same  way,  if  red  is  put  into  blue  the  color  becomes 


COLOR  247 

violet  with  a  preponderance  of  blue.  This  is  blue  violet  until 
the  point  violet  is  reached.  When  more  red  is  present  than 
blue  the  tone  is  red  violet,  until  no  blue  remains ;  then  the  color 
tone  is  normal  red.  These  intermediate  tones  on  either  side  of 
a  binary  color,  before  the  color  reaches  the  primary  stage,  are 
known  as  hues.  The  hues  are  yellow  orange,  red  orange,  red 
violet,  blue  violet,  blue  green,  and  yellow  green,  and  there  may 
be  as  many  of  them  as  the  eye  detects  in  the  introduction  of 
one  color  into  the  other. 

Value. — The  second  color  quality  is  known  as  "value." 
Value  is  the  light  and  dark  in  color;  that  is,  the  proportion  of 
white  or  of  black,  without  relation  to  the  color  intensity  itself. 
Reference  to  a  color  chart  will  show  that  green  is  lighter  or 
nearer  white  than  violet  or  red,  that  normal  blue  is  darker  or 
nearer  black  than  orange  or  yellow.  To  take  value  and  sepa- 
rate it  from  intensity  is  to  understand  how  to  produce  color 
contrasts  which  are  most  effective  and  most  efficient  in  convey- 
ing ideas  in  their  strongest  ways.  A  color  may  have  as  many 
value  steps  as  can  be  detected  between  white  and  black;  but, 
for  convenience,  we  usually  scale  a  color  into  nine  steps,  called 
white,  high-light,  light,  low-light,  middle,  high-dark,  dark, 
low-dark,  black.  This  division  makes  it  possible  to  see  colors 
in  their  value  relations.  To  judge  them  accurately  we  must 
partially  close  the  eyes  and  try  to  eliminate  the  color  from 
them  and  see  them  as  grays  instead  of  as  colors. 

Intensity.— The  third  quality  of  color,  and  perhaps  the 
most  important  quality  for  the  advertising  field,  is  known  as 
intensity,  or  brilliancy.  Intensity  in  color  is  that  quality  of 
self  ness  or  personality  which  names  it.  When  a  red  is  as  red 
as  it  can  be  got,  it  is  in  its  full  intensity.  As  soon  as  it  is 
weakened  in  any  way  it  loses  some  of  that  quality.  Intensity 
is  the  quality  which  gives  power,  individuality,  and  personal 


248  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

appeal.  It  is  the  quality  which  is  most  abused,  least  under- 
stood, and  most  prodigally  exploited. 

Yellow  and  violet,  blue  and  orange,  red  and  green,  are  said 
to  be  complementary  colors.  They  are  called  complementary 
because  each  has  the  power  to  neutralize  or  destroy  the  other. 
Put  red  into  green  and  the  green  begins  to  lose  itself,  becomes 
softer,  grayer,  less  ferocious,  tamer,  and  more  usable  in  large 
quantities.  Put  green  into  red  and  the  same  effect  is  seen. 
Orange  neutralizes  or  softens  blue,  and  blue  produces  a  like 
effect  upon  orange.  Purple  neutralizes  yellow  and  yellow, 
purple.  This  is  a  fundamental  fact  in  choice  of  colors  in  har- 
mony and  also  a  fundamental  fact  in  the  use  of  any  colors  in 
backgrounds  and  objects  to  be  shown  against  them. 

When  a  color  has  lost  half  its  force  or  strength,  it  is  said 
to  be  half -neutralized;  that  is,  half  as  powerful  or  aggressive 
as  the  normal  color.  Full-intense,  normal  colors  are  the  most 
primitive,  childish,  strongest,  crudest,  and  most  elementary  ex- 
pressions of  color  ideas.  Neutralized  colors  are  softer,  more 
refined,  more  subtle,  soothing,  livable.  These  quality  effects 
are  important  in  our,  further  discussions.  As  has  been  said,  it 
is  absolutely  important  to  realize  each  of  these  qualities  as  dis- 
tinct from  each  of  the  others  that  one  may  make  use  of  con- 
trasts and  likenesses  in  his  choice  and  arrangement  of  color  in 
any  form  of  display  in  which  color  is  a  factor  of  expression. 

Harmony. — Harmony  is  concord.  It  is  the  relationship  of 
agreement  in  regard  to  certain  qualities  possessed  by  objects 
or  things.  Musical  composition  is  based  upon  the  scientific 
laws  of  these  relationships.  Sound,  being  produced  by  vibra- 
tions, has  been  scaled  and  each  tone  standardized,  so  that  the 
selection  of  tones  based  on  relationship  makes  the  study  of 
harmony  a  comparatively  easy  task.  Violate  these  relation- 
ships and  harmony  is  destroyed.  Color  is  produced  by  the 
vibrations  of  lights  and  the  tonal  impressions  enter  conscious- 


COLOR  249 

ness  through  the  sense  of  sight,  in  the  same  way  as  the  tonal 
impressions  of  sound  enter  it  through  the  sense  of  hearing. 
Less  attention  has  been  paid  to  the  standardization  of  color 
tones  than  to  that  of  sound  tones,  but  enough  has  been  done 
to  give  an  approximately  clear  idea  of  what  the  line  of  devel- 
opment will  be  and  the  qualities  upon  which  harmony  in  this 
realm  depends. 

Qualities  of  Likeness. — In  the  development  of  color  har- 
mony it  is  necessary  to  consider  two  sets  of  qualities:  first,  the 
qualities  of  likeness;  and,  second,  those  of  contrast.  Color 
harmonies  are  based  on  these  two  sets  of  ideas.  From  the 
spectrum  circuit  it  will  be  seen  that  green — which  is  half-yel- 
low and  half-blue — is  by  nature  of  its  composition  half -related 
to  each,  as  orange  is  to  yellow  and  red,  as  violet  is  to  red  and 
blue.  This  establishes  a  relationship  called  a  relationship  of 
family  likeness.  Into  green  two  of  the  three  primary  elements 
enter.  These  two  elements  are  found  also  in  yellow  green  and 
blue  green,  although  in  different  proportions.  This  makes  yel- 
low, yellow  green,  green,  and  blue  green  a  family  harmony,  a 
harmony  of  likeness,  or,  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  an  analog- 
ous harmony.  Blue,  blue  green,  green,  and  yellow  green  are 
also  a  family  group.  Yellow,  yellow  orange,  orange,  and  red 
orange  form  a  group;  red,  red  orange,  orange,  and  yellow 
orange  another.  About  violet  two  other  groups  are  formed. 
The  first  includes  red,  red  violet,  violet,  and  blue  violet;  the 
second  blue,  blue  violet,  yellow  violet,  and  red  violet.  One  of 
these  sets,  or  any  two  or  more  hues  in  one  of  these  sets,  will 
iorm  a  related  harmony.  By  the  nature  of  their  composition 
these  colors,  whether  in  their  full  intensity  or  otherwise,  are 
more  or  less  related  to  begin  with ;  in  some  cases  the  relation 
is  closer  than  in  others,  but  all  have  common  elements. 

It  will  perhaps  be  noted  that  while  yellow,  yellow  green, 
green,  and  blue  green  form  a  family,  yellow  orange — which 


250 


THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 


is  nearer  to  yellow  than  blue  green — is  not  included  in  this 
family.  This  is  because  yellow  orange  introduces  red,  which 
is  the  third  of  the  three  elementary  colors.  The  combination 
of  yellow  orange  and  yellow  green  in  their  full  intensity,  or  of 
red  violet  and  red  orange,  or  of  blue  green  and  blue  violet,  is 
not  possible  in  these  family  groups.  The  law  of  selection  is 
that  in  selecting  the  analogous  scheme  the  primary  color  must 
not  be  crossed.  When  this  is  understood  a  reason  is  seen  for 
the  bad  combination  made  when  so-called  crimson  and  scarlet 
— that  is  red  violet  and  red  orange — or  when  blue  green  and 
blue  violet  chance  to  enter  the  same  combination  in  juxtaposi- 
tion to  each  other.  Nothing  is  more  unpleasant  than  scarlet 
and  crimson  combined,  particularly  in  intense  colors. 

Qualities  of  Contrast. — The  harmony  of  contrasts  starts 
with  an  entirely  different  premise.  It  will  be  remembered  that 
violet  and  yellow,  red  and  green,  orange  and  blue,  are  com- 
plementary colors,  that  these  colors  are  complementary  be- 
cause no  part  of  one  is  found  in  the  composition  of  the  other. 
Take,  for  instance,  blue  and  orange.  Orange  is  made  of  red 
and  yellow  in  equal  force.  These  two  primary  colors  leave 
but  one  unused,  namely,  blue.  Blue  mixed  with  orange  pro- 
duces a  neutral  gray,  as,  in  fact,  does  violet  mixed  with  yellow, 
or  green  mixed  with  red.  The  reason  in  each  case  is  the  same. 
The  three  primary  colors  are  combined  in  equal  force  and  each 
is  destroyed.  The  destruction  of  each  is  the  proof  that  they 
are  complementaries.  If  any  apparent  color  remains  in  the 
gray,  the  colors  are  not  true  complements. 

Orange  and  blue  in  their  fullest  intensity  are  inharmonious 
in  fact,  but  the  choice  is  the  basis  for  producing  a  harmony  in 
the  following  manner.  The  introduction  of  blue  into  orange 
is  made,  and  of  orange  into  blue,  until  each  color  reaches  the 
half-neutral  point.  These  colors  are  harmonious  at  this  point. 
A  certain  area  of  full-intense  blue  may  be  uced  with  a  larger 


IN  EPS 


AKEUP 


Esi  HENRY  C  MINER 


Illustration  showing  a  right  relation  of  intense  color  to  its  background  in 
position,  but  exaggerated  in  proportion. 


You  Can  Buy  a  Home  In  The  Country 
Within  The  City;  18  Minutes  From  Xe\v 
York  Business,  Shopping  and  Theatres. 
Beautiful  Colonial  Brick  House,  87,250. 
Little  Cash  Down,  Balance  850  Monthly. 
See  Samuel  Knopf,  220  W.  42d  St.,  X.Y 


Illustration  showing  wrong  use  of  an  intense  color  in  relation  to  copy. 


COLOR  251 

area  of  half-neutralized  orange,  or  vice  versa.  If  one  of  the 
colors  is  further  neutralized,  a  larger  area  of  the  complement 
may  be  used  in  a  more  intense  form.  Full-intense,  comple- 
mentary colors  may  never  be  used  touching  each  other. 

These  two  methods  of  producing  color  harmony  are  suf- 
ficient for  general  use. 

Law  of  Backgrounds. — This  idea  of  neutralization  is  per- 
haps the  most  important  law  of  color  choice  in  any  field  of  ex- 
pression. A  wall  paper  that  is  more  than  half-intense  destroys 
the  possibility  of  seeing  people,  furniture,  or  pictures  in  any- 
thing like  a  fair  relationship  to  the  background  or  to  adjacent 
objects.  The  average  person,  with  average  color  of  skin,  can 
ill  afford  to  wear  a  suit  of  contrasting  color  in  its  full  inten- 
sity. It  is  as  absurd  to  try  to  show  cuts,  ornament,  and  the 
like,  upon  a  full-intense  background.  The  background  upon 
which  objects  are  to  be  shown  is  not  the  important  thing,  or 
it  would  have  had  another  name  than  background.  The  sense- 
less waste  of  color  on  the  plea  that  it  is  necessary  to  attract 
attention  is  in  direct  opposition  to  the  known  law  in  any  other 
field  of  color  use.  Far-away  hills  seem  to  be  less  intense  in 
color  than  the  flowers  and  grass  under  one's  very  feet.  Prob- 
ably the  difference  would  disappear  if  one  had  them  actually 
under  his  feet  also.  The  general  law  of  background  may  be 
stated  thus:  "Backgrounds  should  always  be  less  intense  than 
objects  shown  upon  them."  This  is  to  give  the  objects  at  least 
a  fair  chance  to  assert  themselves  for  what  they  may  be  worth. 
Closely  associated  with  this  may  be  the  corollary,  "The 
larger  the  area  in  any  design  the  less  intense  the  color  should 
be,"  and  conversely,  "The  smaller  the  area  the  more  intense 
the  color  may  be."  It  is  not  the  background  of  the  out-of-door 
sign,  that  demands  full-intense  color;  it  is  the  objects  or  facts 
which  are  to  be  presented  on  this  background  that  should 
receive  the  strength  which  pure  color  contains. 


252  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

Upon  the  qualities  of  color  we  must  depend,  then,  for  our 
intelligent  choice  of  color  as  a  vehicle  of  expression.  It  has 
been  seen  that  each  fundamental  tone  in  the  spectrum  is  meant 
to  convey  a  set  of  special  ideas  or  qualities,  that  the  presenta- 
tion of  these  colors  should  arouse  the  feeling  for  these  qualities 
in  consciousness,  the  same  as  color  tones  arouse  conscious 
quality  feelings.  It  is  essential  then,  that  advertising  recog- 
nize the  power  of  individual  color  in  quality  expression. 

It  has  been  seen  that  diluted  colors,  or  tints,  possess  less 
strength,  more  playfulness,  youth,  instability,  than  shades  or 
darker  tones.  This  fact  makes  it  possible  to  select  such  color 
relations  as  will  convey  the  quality  idea  which  the  advertised 
article  purports  to  possess. 

The  relating  of  objects  of  whatever  nature  to  the  back- 
ground idea  is  the  third  important  truth  to  realize  from  color 
quality. 

Each  quality  in  color  makes  it  possible  to  choose  two  tones 
with  wide  or  close  contrasts,  as  the  case  may  be.  If  one  will 
study  these  possibilities,  crude  color  combinations  will  dis- 
appear. For  example,  one  will  choose  normal  yellow  at  high 
light,  in  full  intensity,  and  half-neutral  violet  at  low  dark,  in 
one-fourth  intensity.  This  is  terrific  in  its  contrast.  Its  value 
contrast  is  almost  as  great  as  can  be  obtained.  Its  contrast  in 
hue  has  the  widest  range,  the  colors  being  complements  of 
each  other.  The  intensities  are  forced  apart,  one  being  full 
and  the  other  but  one-fourth.  It  seldom  happens,  except  under 
abnormal  conditions,  that  one  needs  to  use  violent  contrasts 
between  each  of  the  three  qualities  which  color  tones  possess. 

Even  as  brief  a  discussion  of  color  as  this  should  place  it 
in  the  mind  of  the  reader  among  the  most  important,  and  per- 
haps the  most  interesting,  of  all  the  elements  possible  in  con- 
veying ideas.  Color  makes  an  appeal  to  everybody  who  sees  it. 
It  is  natural  that  it  should  be  so,  because  the  eye,  or  sense  of 
sight,  recognizes  color  immediately 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

ILLUSTRATION 

The  Place  of  Pictures  in  Advertising. — Pictures  are  a  com- 
mon language.  The  world  over,  where  words  from  one  lan- 
guage mean  nothing  to  persons  speaking  another,  pictures  con- 
vey to  all  persons,  in  a  quite  similar  way,  detailed  facts  of 
thoughts,  action,  and  effect.  The  pictorial  expressions  of  the 
Chinese  or  Japanese,  while  differing  in  almost  every  essential 
from  occidental  types,  convey  to  us  something  of  the  idea  in- 
tended. So  do  ours  to  them. 

Because  of  this  fact,  illustrations  have  come  to  be  a  very 
important  normal  and  natural  adjunct  to  advertising  display 
language.  Their  use  and  abuse  is  a  matter  in  which  men  inter- 
ested in  the  scientific  development  of  this  subject  are  taking  an 
acute  interest.  Just  when  to  illustrate  and  when  not  to,  just 
how  much  space  may  be  given  to  this  form  of  language,  under 
general  conditions  and  specific  ones,  just  what  types  of  illustra- 
tion make  certain  kinds  of  appeal,  just  what  treatment  is  most 
efficient — these  and  many  other  questions  are  daily  argued  and 
daily  experimented  with. 

Illustrations  may  be  said  to  include  line-drawings,  wash- 
drawings,  photographs,  prints,  posters,  naturalistic  paintings, 
and  all  those  things  which  approach  the  pictorial  idea.  The 
very  term  illustration  implies  that  these  forms  have  something 
to  say.  Just  what  they  have  to  say  and  what  they  do  say  may 
not  always  be  clearly  apparent. 

The  Functions  of  Illustration,- — The  first  function  of  the 
illustration  proper  is  to  supplement,  make  stronger,  clearer,  or 
more  attractive,  the  ideas  which  the  copy  attempts  to  present. 

253 


254 


THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 


This  gives  a  fundamental  basis  for  classification  in  the  illustra- 
tion field.  From  its  success  or  failure  in  performing  this  func- 
tion we  may  class  illustra- 
tions as  relevant  or  irrelevant. 
Perhaps  the  problem  is 
the  exploitation  of  hose.  A 
certain  firm  gives  half  of  its 
car-card  space  to  the  face, 
bust,  or  figure,  of  what  they 
presume  to  be  a  pretty  girl. 
The  object  of  this  head  or 
bust  is  presumably  to  attract 
attention.  Such  an  illustra- 
tion, however,  is  irrelevant. 
Even  supposing  the  picture 
of  a  pretty  woman  does  get 
the  public  attention,  it  fails 
in  a  large  percentage  of 
cases  to  get  the  public  atten- 
tion to  the  thing  for  which 
the  display  exists,  namely, 
hose.  Moreover,  the  possi- 
bility of  creating  a  set  of  as- 
sociated ideas  on  the  hosiery 
question  is  very  remote  in 
this  type  of  illustration.  One 
should  refer  to  his  know- 
ledge of  the  laws  of  atten- 
tion and  association  to  judge 
the  relevancy  of  an  illustra- 
tion of  this  type. 


Only 
5  Days 

Left 

Big   Wartime   Piano    Sale 

THE  BOTTOM  HAS  DROPPED  OUT  OF  PIANO  PRICES 

».TC      W.^.n^U,F.4.a~dF~~..l.lMlr.«4.Mi. 


Bargain          ^^f  Bargab  ^"^1  Bargain 

WheTwe  Say  "Hurry,"  It  It  for  Your  Own  Good 


Hallet  &  Davis  Piano  Store 

N.w  H.llrt  A  D..U  BuOdhi 


Too  many  illustrations,  destruc- 
tive placings,  badly  cut-up  copy, 
and  general  chaos  * 

Whenever  a  set  of  ideas 

is   set  in  motion  by   suggestion   and   urged   to  continue   by 
further  suggestion,  the  probability  of  changing  the  associa- 


ZA  NA5I  SAMOSTATNOSTf 

HRRNAVRAHA! 


ZADEMOKRACII! 

CESKOSLOVENSKA  ARMADA 

This  illustrates  the  use  of  one  intense  color  on  a  neutral  background, 
with  a  strictly  decorative  technique  in  form,  line,  and  color.  The  color 
appeal  is  strengthened  by  the  decorative  appeal.  Attention  is  called  to 
the  fact  that  the  message  of  realism  is  in  no  wise  weakened  by  the  sub- 
stitution of  the  decorative  for  the  naturalistic  treatment  and  that  the 
former  is  simpler  and  more  direct 


ILLUSTRATION 


255 


tion  or  forming  a  new  one  with  an  entirely  new  set  of  ideas 
seems  absurd.  More  time,  space,  money,  and  mental  effort 
are  spent  in  the  sentimental  view-point  of  the  pretty  picture, 
particularly  of  the  pretty  girl,  than  one  can  afford  to  spend  in 
illustration  as  an  efficient  factor  in  advertising  display.  When- 
ever there  is  a  question  in  the  mind  of  the  user  as  to  whether 
an  illustration  is  absolutely 
relevant  to  the  idea  he  is 
exploiting  he  should  ask 
himself,  "For  what  am  I 
using  this  illustration?  — 
Can  I  afford  for  the  sake  of 
public  attention  to  interest 
the  public  in  something 
which  is  entirely  foreign  to 
the  thing  I  wish  them  to 
consider  ?" 

Thousands  of  cases  may 
be  cited  all  over  the  country 
in  which  this  almost  illiter- 
ate and  childish  admiration 
of  pictures  has  led  great 
manufacturing  firms  to  ex- 
pend millions  on  useless 

stuff.  Granting  that  the  firm  has  in  some  cases  found  these 
advertisements  to  yield  a  satisfactory  result,  there  is  no  proof 
that  even  a  better  result  would  not  have  been  yielded  had  they 
been  omitted. 


NEWBRO'S  HERPICIDE 

The  Original  Germ-Rtmtdy  for  Dandruff. 
Mikes  hair  »oft  and  fluffy.     Stops  itchine  of  the  scalp. 

DON'T    BLAME    YOUR    MIRROR 

Many  ladies  compel  their  mirrors  to  bear 
silent  witness  to  needless  hair  destruction. 
Day  after  day  they  see  beauty  and  attrac- 
tiveness despoiled  by  the  removal  of  great 
eombfuls  of  slightly  diseased  hair  that 
could  be  saved.  If  your  mirror  could  talk 
it  would  plead  with  you  to  "save  your 
hair — not  the  combings."  It  can  be  done 
with  Newbro's  Herpicide  which  eradicates 
the  contagion  that  causes  dull,  brittle  and 
lusterless  hair,  also  dandruff  and  tailing 
hair.  Correct  this  and  the  hair's  natural 
luster  and  abundance  will  return.  Almost 
extraordinary  results.  An  exquisite  hair 


Send  10  cents  in  stamps  to  The  Herpicide 
Company.  Dept  107  B.  Detroit.  Michigan,  for 
sample  and  booklet. 

Two  Sizes— 50  cents  and  $1.00.     Sold  and 
guaranteed  at  all  Toilet  Goods  Counters. 
When  you  call  for  Herpicide.  do  not  accept  a 
substitute.   Applications  at  prominent  Barber 


Excellently  balanced  and  show- 
ing how  by  attractive  placing,  re- 
pellent illustrations  seem  to  be  al- 
most good 


Naturalistic  Illustration. — A  further  classification  of  illus- 
trations seems  to  be  advisable  at  this  point.  Pictures  should 
convey  facts  as  to  form,  shape,  and  action,  and  they  should 
also  convey  ideas  of  certain  qualities.  These  include  such 
qualities  as  refinement,  strength,  dignity,  frivolity,  firmness, 


The  drawers  aie 
on  ball-bearing"  slides 


256  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF   ADVERTISING 

and  the  like,  as  well  as  the  quality  of  pleasure  which  is  aroused 
by  a  sense  of  aesthetic  relationships. 

The  picture  that  is  like  an  old-time  photograph,  seeking  in 
its  idea  to  reproduce  with  positive  accuracy  the  smallest  facts 
of  detail,  important  and  unimportant,  is  called  naturalistic. 
This  naturalistic  treatment  in  pictures  may  be  compared  to  the 

realistic  epoch  of  acting,  in 
which  the  drama  sought  to 
portray  in  detail  every  fact 
connected  with  the  birth, 
growth,  and  maturity  of  the 
plot.  The  old-time  audi- 
ence listened  in  martyred 
complacency  while  realism, 
with  all  its  joys  and  horrors, 
was  told  in  the  most  natur- 
alistic possible  manner  be- 
fore their  eyes.  In  modern 
times  this  seems  childish  and 
ludicrous.  Only  the  most 
flagrantly  ignorant  desire  to 
have  the  bold  truth  with  all 
its  actual  details  of  setting. 
The  public  is  imaginative — 
it  has  rudiments  at  least  of 
intellect,  it  desires  to  judge 

Suggestive  treatment  of  illustra-      for   itself,   mentally   to   ere- 

ate  something,  to  let  imag- 
ination  play  some  part  in 

creation.  The  suggestion  is  all  the  public  wants  now  in  plays, 
problematical  as  they  are.  This  is  the  modem  state  of  con- 
sciousness. It  appears  in  literature,  on  the  stage,  in  music. 
It  must  appear  in  one's  judgment  of  pictures. 

To  a  student  familiar  with  the  history  of  painting,  even 


let  at  *h«w  yon  a  brand-new  Idea  In  steel 
filing  cabinet!— «  perfected  slide  which  per- 
mit* tne  drawers  to  be  palled  .out  and  pushed 
In  with  little  effort  and  less  noise. 
It  does  its  work  astonishingly  well.  Drawer* 
may  be  chock-a-block  with  papers  that  weigh 
«  hundred  pounds,  yet  oat  they  come  and  in 
they  go  without  sagging,  sticking  or  banging. 
Other  things  which  we  should  like  you  to 


8t  wl  cart  cabinets. 

Steel  counter  uaiu-comblnstions  of  card 

and  filing  cablnat*  forming  •  perfectly 

practicable  counter. 
Steel   storage   ahelrlng-foz    ranks   add 


Steel  record  sal es— for  homing  ledgers,  etc. 
Please  don't  tell  us,  "I  am  not  in  the  market 
lor  any  office  equipment  at  present."    YOU 
WILL  BE.  SOON. 

Library  Bureau 


I  and  filing  ayatems.     Unit  cablneta  In  wood  and  i 

m  Broadway,  New  York 


ILLUSTRATION 


257 


casually,  there  is  a  great  lesson  to  be  learned  in  this  regard. 
Epochs  of  painting  that  produced  masterpieces  are  not  those 
that  produced  in  each  masterpiece  every  technical  fact.  The 
more  realistic  a  school  may  grow,  the  softer  and  more  ephem- 
eral become  its  types  and  the  less  decorative  the  finished 
product. 

In  current  times  it  has  been  quite  a  custom  in  using,  for 
example,  the  pretty  girl  before  referred  to,  or  any  other  simi- 
lar thing,  to  retouch  and  work  over  detail  after  detail,  taking 
out  character  and  putting  in  softness  and  artificiality.  The 
result  which  this  treatment  tends  to  produce  is  the  failure  of 
the  illustration  to  fulfil  its  functions  altogether.  The  illus- 
tration has  become  a  state- 
ment of  fact;  and  sugges- 
tion, clogged  by  the  fact, 
has  degenerated  into  a  sec- 
ondary, senseless  pretense, 
which  is  not  art. 


Decorative  Illustration. 

— The  other  method  of  us- 
ing illustration  is  the  one 
with  which  facts,  or  at  least 
minor  facts,  are  subordi- 
nated to  the  decorative 
idea.  This  type  seeks  by  the 
choice  and  arrangement  of 
the  facts  to  be  shown,  the 


This  is  no  run  on  a  bank,  but 
you  can  bank  on  a  run  on  these 
suits  at  $-- 

Yes,  all  this  season's  make,  all  up 
to  our  regular  standard. 

Instead  of  spending  the  money 
in  big  newspaper  space  we're 
giving  you  the  money--$3.  to 
$5.  saving  to  you  on  every  suit. 


Poster  treatment  of  illustration; 
vigorous  motion  for  attention  value 
and  interest 


colors  used,  the  forms  and 

lines  employed,  to  create  a  decorative  plan  suggesting  facts  and 
qualities  at  the  same  time.  In  addition  to  facts  and  general 
qualities,  it  seeks  further  to  create  an  atmosphere  of  aesthetic 
pleasure  through  its  choice  and  arrangement.  This  is  the 
ideal  type  of  illustration  as  to  treatment.  Broadly  speaking, 


258  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

it  is  called  the  poster  idea.  This  is  a  somewhat  incomplete 
term,  since  it  may  be  applied  to  other  things.  At  any  rate, 
it  is  a  type  in  which  flat  tones  or  design  take  precedence  over 
unimportant  fact.  When  illustrations  are  properly  compre- 
hended, this  form  of  treatment  will  supplant  the  former  one 
and  mere  pretense,  with  its  sentimental  associations,  will  pass 
into  the  background. 

Relation  of  Illustration  to  Other  Elements. — A  word 
should  be  said  in  regard  to  the  placing  of  the  illustration  in 
its  relation  to  other  matter  within  the  display.  Let  us  illus- 
trate with  the  car-card.  If  we  consider  the  car-card  divided 
into  two  equal  parts  by  a  vertical  line,  left-  and  right-hand 
parts,  it  is  sometimes  the  custom  to  place  the  illustration  at 
the  left,  facing  out.  This  calls  attention,  by  gaze,  to  the 
advertisement  next  the  one  in  which  the  illustration  is  found, 
and  is  bad  form.  On  the  other  hand,  it  sometimes  happens 
that  the  illustration  is  placed  in  the  right-hand  half.  If  it 
faces  out,  it  is  still  worse.  If  it  faces  in,  it  is  better,  but  very 
often  takes  attention  entirely  from  the  copy  at  its  left  and  the 
observer,  who  naturally  reads  from  left  to  right  and  whose 
attention  is  carried  in  that  direction,  passes  from  this  illus- 
tration to  the  next  card  without  ever  seeing  the  copy. 

What  is  true  of  the  car-card  is  true  in  other  fields  under 
similar  circumstances.  If  the  function  of  the  illustration  is 
to  attract  attention,  stimulate  interest,  and  bring  conviction,  it 
must  be  placed  where  it  will  as  nearly  as  possible  accomplish 
these  three  things.  In  magazine  and  newspaper  layouts,  cuts 
frequently  appear  too  low  down,  or  after  the  points  have  been 
made.  This  means  either  that  they  are  not  needed,  because 
the  points  have  been  made,  or  that  they  may,  unless  very  care- 
fully chosen,  lead  the  observer  into  another  field  of  thought 
and  destroy  the  sequence. 

Sometimes  when  the  illustration  is  suggestive  enough  or 


ILLUSTRATION  259 

strong  enough  in  idea,  quality,  and  art  feeling,  it  is  possible  by 
its  proper  use  to  lessen  the  amount  of  copy  needed.  It  fre- 
quently occurs  that  fewer  words  may  be  used  because  of  the 
illustration's  appeal,  and  sometimes  fewer  illustrations  may  be 
used  because  words  are  sufficient. 

Functions  of  Illustration  Summarized. — To  summarize  a 
moment — the  function  of  the  illustration  is  to  convey  facts 
and  qualities  and  create  a  mental  condition  through  sugges- 
tion. Suggestion  should  play  a  much  more  important  part 
than  statement  of  fact  in  all  places  where  quality  is  of  any 
importance.  Generally  speaking,  words  are  about  as  effective 
in  conveying  abstract  ideas  as  pictures  are;  this  is  an  import- 
ant point.  Under  ordinary  circumstances  the  first  use  of  the 
illustration  is  to  supplement  the  copy  and  in  order  to  do  so, 
in  any  sense,  it  must  be  relevant  to  the  copy. 

The  second  reason  for  the  use  of  the  illustration  is  based 
on  the  psychology  of  human  appeal.  People  are  more  inter- 
ested in  persons  than  in  things.  "Persons,"  however,  is  not 
a  sex  term.  The  advertising  of  face  powder,  hose,  paving 
stones,  and  caskets  by  means  of  a  female  head  or  a  female 
figure,  as  an  attention-getter,  should  not  be  regarded  as  illus- 
trating human-interest  appeal. 

The  third  function  of  the  illustration  is  to  make  a  more 
general  and  far-reaching  appeal  than  words  can.  Because  of 
the  impersonality  of  words,  because  of  their  abstractness,  they 
cannot,  except  in  very  rare  instances,  stir  the  emotions  with 
the  same  vigor  and  zeal  that  pictures  do,  and  it  is,  of  course, 
the  emotions  that  create  the  mental  atmosphere  desired  in 
much  of  our  advertising  display. 

Atmosphere  is  indeed  an  indefinite  word,  but  it  is  not  so 
difficult  to  describe  in  this  connection  when  it  is  seen  in  this 
way.  Anything  which  is  presented  to  consciousness  through 
the  senses,  if  sensed  at  all,  creates  a  mental  state  of  pleasure, 


40% 

Greater 
Capacity 


Patented  Removable 

el  Army* 


Steel  arm,  removable  type, 
showing  rabble  section  partly  removed. 


NOTE— These  arms  can  be  quickly  and 
easily  remmtd  from  the  outside  of  the  fur- 
nace without  materially  interfering  with 
the  operation  of  the  furnace. 


The  air-cooled  arms  of  the  new 
Herreshoff  Furnace  are  hollow  and 
through  them  a  forced  draught  of  air  is 
circulated  from  the  central  shaft.  Besides 
maintaining  the  strength  of  the  metal 
this  effects  the  preheating  of  air  used 
for  combustion.  Thus  is  the  tempera- 
ture of  the  roasting  process  regulated  and 
the  efficiency  of  the  combustion  increased, 
making  the  capacity,  per  foot  of  hearth 
when  compared  with  the  •  ordinary  :type 
40  per  cent,  greater  in 


Air  Cooled 

and 

Temperature 

r     Controlled 


It  utilizes  all  waste  heat.  No  slagging 
on  the  hearth.  This  company  knows  the 
economy  of  this  furnace.  We  have  used  it 
for  years.  We  want  you  to  put  your 
roasting  problem  up  to  us  and  get  the 
benefit  of  our  long  experience.  Do  it 


F°Metallu$cd 

and 

Chemical 


Furnace/*  Made  In 

VariouA/Tzxv* 

WritcySr  Catalog 


OENEWOMO\L  COMPANY 

HERRESHOFF  FURNACE  DEPARTMENT  B 
25  Broad  Street  Now  York,  N.  Y. 

MFIC  FOUNMGMW 

IO*andrl«rri/-on./W«y  .An  fr«nci/x»  Col/omi* 


Magazine  page,  material  badly  selected,  badly  grouped,  badly  placed, 
too  mixed  in  kinds 


260 


ILLUSTRATION  261 

pain,  or  indifference.  It  is  rarely  wise,  in  advertising,  to  cre- 
ate the  condition  of  pain,  or  fear,  except  indirectly  in  the  case 
of  patent  medicines  and  other  articles  that  are  bought  only  be- 
cause of  fear.  It  is  generally  wise  to  create  as  pleasant  a 
mental  condition  as  possible. 

The  illustration  may  be  used  effectively  to  create  mental 
states  which  really  are  the  atmosphere  of  the  individual ;  for 
we  are  pretty  nearly  what  we  think  we  are,  and  we  do  as 
nearly  what  we  feel  like  doing  as  we  can.  This  mental  state, 
created  by  the  presentation  of  qualities  to  consciousness,  is 
atmosphere.  It  is  a  mistake  to  think,  because  people  are  poor, 
somewhat  uncultivated,  and  apparently  unrefined,  that  they 
more  readily  buy  things  which  are  as  poverty-stricken  and 
illiterate-looking,  or  badly  formed,  as  they  themselves  appear 
to  be.  People  like  to  be  thought  better  than  they  are,  and  the 
atmosphere  that  recognizes  this  fact  is  more  likely  to  produce 
results  than  the  one  which  assumes  that  everybody  must  be 
met  exactly  on  his  own  level.  People  are  often  much  better 
than  they  seem  and  often  understand  and  enjoy  much  better 
things  than  they  appear  to. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

ORNAMENT 

Ornament  Defined.— The  term  "ornament"  is  applied  to 
certain  forms  which  have  been  evolved,  or  are  being  evolved, 
with  decorative  intent.  The  aim  of  ornament  is  to  strengthen 
or  define  structural  lines  and  to  add  beauty  through  a  unity 
with  the  thing  upon  which  the  ornament  is  applied.  Every 
period  in  history  has  evolved  its  own  ornament  types,  with  the 
same  sense  of  desire  for  beauty  and  the  belief  that  ornaments 
would  realize  this  end.  Sometimes  beauty  has  been  the  result ; 
sometimes  the  most  intense  ugliness  has  come  out  of  both  the 
making  of  the  ornament  and  the  bad  use  of  it  after  it  has 
found  expression. 

Decoration  as  Distinguished  from  Ornamentation. — The 
first  step  in  understanding  ornament  is  the  clear  distinction  be- 
tween the  terms  "decoration"  and  "ornamentation."  The  or- 
nament itself  may  be  good  and  the  result  of  its  use  bad;  or, 
the  ornament  itself  may  be  fairly  good  and  the  result  of  its 
use  extremely  pleasing.  There  are  then  two  distinct  things  to 
realize — when  ornament  is  itself  beautiful  and  when  it  is  deco- 
rative in  its  use. 

The  chief  purpose  of  decoration  is  to  define  or  strengthen 
construction  or  structural  lines.  This  presupposes  a  made 
thing  upon  which  decoration  is  to  be  placed.  Bands  or  stripes 
around  a  rug  define  its  edges  and  sometimes  add  beauty  to  the 
rug.  They  break  the  surface,  occasionally  introduce  pleasing 
shapes  and  sizes,  vary  the  color,  and  altogether  add  charm  to 
the  rug.  This  is  a  decorative  use  of  ornament.  Curtains 
which  hang  at  the  windows,  straight,  in  harmony  with  the 

ifa 


ORNAMENT 


263 


window  casing's,  door  casings,  or  other  vertical  structural  lines, 
and  have  a  pleasing  color  and  pattern,  form  a  decorative  win- 
dow idea.  Two  long  candlesticks  on  either  end  of  a  mantel, 


A  Few  Border 
Arrangements 


•  of  the  Co 
ig     Arrange 


A  Souv 
'Advert 

conducted  by  FRANK  At 
PARSONS  under  the  man- 
agement of  the  N-w  York 
Advertising  Men's  League 

Composed    and    Printed    by 
WILLIAM_GREEN 

627  West  43d""Street.  N    Y 


For  Holiday  Gifts 


Joseph  P.  McHugh  &  Son 


For  Holiday  Gifts 

n,    Toftlit   Shop   PrcKan 
TW    Mbwng    $»((cuii>» 


Joseph  P  McHugh  &  Son 

NINE    WttST   FORTY-SECOND   IT 
OPPOSITE  LI8K4R*.  NSW  YORK 


A  succession  of  borders  in  several  lines 

1.  A  fairly  adequate  support 

2.  Lines  become  distracting  and  conflict  with  copy 

3.  Lines  dominate 

in  harmony  with  the  structure  of  the  mantel,  making  stronger 
the  structural  lines  because  of  repeating  them,  cause  a  decora- 
tive effect.  Carving,  restrained  or  confined  between  certain 
lines,  may  add  strength  and  beauty  to  the  structure  of  a  cabinet 


For  Holiday  Gifts 


At  «1  to  '5  !°//lorp^'0?'«S 

.  Dog  Dnnjnn«  Di.hct, 
'' 


. 

llow..  Brill  Candic  Holckrt, 
elvet  Cashionf.  Willow  Chair*. 
uffin  S«n<i«  and  Odd  Pottery 


Joseph  P.  McHugh  &  Son 


For  Holiday  Gifts 


At  H  »*  $&!£ 

Picture!.   Dog    Drinking 


Joseph  P.  McHiigh&  Son 


For  Holiday  Gifts 

The    Populir  Shop   Proem. 
Tht    Following     Su((c.iioi. 


Joseph  P  McHugh  &  Son 


A  succession  of  borders  inclosing  a  well  arranged  copy 

1.  Line  too  weak 

2.  Line  too  strong 

3.  Line  about  adequate 


or  a  chair,  or,  by  loose  and  unintelligent  placing,  may  weaken 
the  structure  and  make  a  chaos  instead  of  a  chair  back  or 
cabinet  front. 


264  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

Often  it  happens  that  one  admires  a  piece  of  bric-a-brac, 
curtain  material,  a  pattern  in  a  rug,  or  a  bit  of  historic  orna- 
ment, and  imagines  that  he  can  place  this  where  he  likes, 


For  Holiday  Gifts 


Joseph  P.  McHugh  &  Son 

NlNl    WEST    fORTY-SECOND    ST 
OPPOSITE  LIBRARY.  NEW  YORK 


Joseph  P  McHugh  &  Son 

NINE    WEST    FORTY. SECOND    ST 
OPPOSITE  LIBRARY.  NEW   YORK 


A  succession  of  border  lines 

1.  Showing  how  placing  of  strong  line  leads  attention  both  out  and  in 

2.  Showing  placing  of  strong  line  so  as  to  direct  attention  in  only 

3.  Showing  lines  too  far  apart  and  their  scattering  effect 

as  he  likes,  with  anything  he  likes — and  the  result  is  decora- 
tion. This  is  not  so.  This  is  ornamentation.  It  is  the  ex- 
ploitation of  ornament  for  the  sake  of  showing  the  ornament. 


For  Holiday  Gifts 

Th«   pupu|,,   Sh...  P.cicnli 
The     Following    Suf(cllioo! 


Joseph  P  McHugh  &  Sor 


OPPOSITE  LIBRARY    NEW   YORK 


For  Holiday  Gifts 


Joseph  P  McHugh  &  Son 

SINE    WKST    rORTV-Sr.CO.NI>   ST 
OPPOSITE   LIBRARY.  NEW   YOHh 


For  Holiday  Gifts 


At  M  to  55  &',  !.';.??\£ 

I  .:  :7v-'l,':  rPMUry.WM* 
lc»!  li.k-u  v.\/i  Couch 
P.:  .-..  »-.,.  '  llrfit  Holder.. 


Joseph  P  McHugh  &  Son 


Showing  set  of  borders 

1.  With  corners  too  strong  detracting  from  copy 

2.  Better  balanced,  but  corners  in  line  form  a  different  motif  and  by 
contrast  remain  too  strong 

3.  Showing  how  wavy  line  contrasting  with  copy  demands  the  whole 
attention 

The  result  is  usually  in  bad  taste.  Decoration  exists  not  only 
to  strengthen  structure  but  also  to  make  more  beautiful  the 
object  upon  which  it  is  placed.  Ornamentation  exists  to  ex- 


ORNAMENT  265 

ploit  itself  at  the  expense  of  the  objects  with  which  it  is  asso- 
ciated.   It  would  be  well  to  keep  this  in  mind  in  arranging  the 


•AAAAAAAAAAAAH  KYYYYYYYYYYYYM 

<  For  Holiday  Gifts  £  £  For  Holiday  Gifts  <       j  For  Holiday  Gifts 

The   PopuUr   Sbup    Pr«em»  Tb«   PopuUr   Sbop   Pr.wnl.  Tht    ?o"lt"   Slu>1>   >"««""• 

The    Following    SufgeMioil  The    Following    Suggeuiolll 


AtM 

,ctur«.  Doi 

< 


1    Joseph  P.  McHugh&  Son    f  ^    Joseph  P.  McHugh  &  Son    1 

5  srosnru^^^^To^  t  £  ^NPEos7Tru^:RTi:sNEEcwONv°oHsKT  3 

<4  *  *  4 

MYYYYYYYYYYYYM  HAAAAAAAAAAAAH 


A  set  of  borders  in  which  (i)  shows  the  distracting  effect  of  movement 
outwart.  (2)  shows  the  concentrating  effect  of  movement  inward. 
(3)  shows  the  use  of  the  French  motif  and  its  decorative  effect  badly 
used  to  express  general  merchandise 

interior  of  a  house  or  selecting  materials  for  clothes,  as  well 
as  in  the  question  of  advertising  display. 

Sources  of  Ornament. — There  are  two  distinct  sources,  or 
fields,  from  which  ornament  is  drawn — the  field  of  nature  and 
the  field  of  abstraction.  Naturalistic  ornament  proposes  to 
express  something  in  nature  as  nearly  like  the  original  thing 
as  is  possible  to  the  medium  of  its  reproduction.  At  various 
times  in  the  history  of  art  development  the  extravagant  love 
of  nature  or  the  belief  in  its  beauty  under  all  circumstances  has 
led  people  to  exaggerated  ideas  of  the  importance  of  represent- 
ing nature  in  all  places,  in  all  materials,  for  all  purposes.  This 
seems  ridiculous  on  the  face  of  it.  While  it  might  be  possible 
to  tolerate  a  wax  rose,  it  is  unendurable  to  think  of  a  hair  one 
or  a  shell  one.  Tin  and  iron  scarcely  lend  themselves  to  the 
subtleties  of  natural  floral  textures.  Paint,  with  all  its  possi- 
bilities, fails  to  do  justice  to  the  beautiful  lily,  even  when  the 
so-called  artist  applies  it  to  the  dinner  plate,  the  sofa  pillow,  or 
the  wall  paper.  The  misconception  of  the  possible  terms  of 
nature  is  legion,  but  in  most  historic  periods  this  has  been  an 


266  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF  ADVERTISING 

important  field  from  which  decorative  motifs  have  been 
chosen. 

The  second  type  of  ornament  is  taken  from  the  field  of  ar>- 
straction.  This  means  that  forms  have  been  created  with  lines, 
spaces,  spots,  and  colors,  the  results  of  which  have  aimed  at 
pure  form  beauty  and  the  attempt  to  arrive  at  this  without  its 
bearing  any  resemblance  to  anything  that  ever  had  life.  The 
Greek  did  this  largely.  The  Saracenic  school,  because  of  re- 
ligious prejudices,  evolved  a  system  of  interlining  ornament 
wholly  free  from  the  naturalistic  idea. 

There  is  a  class  midway  between  these  two,  called  conven- 
tional ornament.  The  source  of  this  class  is  nature,  and  the 
result  is  a  modified  form  of  the  original  better  suited  to  general 
use  than  the  actual  representation  of  nature  itself.  Ruskin 
has  said,  "Conventionalism  is  man's  expression  of  nature  in 
his  own  materials."  This  means  that  conventionalism  is  the 
adaptation  of  natural  motifs,  floral  and  animal,  to  the  indi- 
vidual material  in  which  man  intends  to  represent  it.  Liber- 
ties are  taken  with  the  actual  form,  size,  and  color.  Parts  are 
added  or  taken  away.  Colors  are  harmonized  through  law. 
Lines  are  constructed  and  bent  to  circumstances,  both  as  to  the 
space  they  will  fill  and  as  to  the  material  in  which  the  design 
is  to  be  worked.  It  is  bad  art  to  try  to  represent  a  flower  as  it 
really  looks,  on  wall  paper,  a  rug,  or  a  china  plate,  but  the 
general  idea  of  form,  size,  and  color  may  be  so  arranged  and 
modified  and  structurally  placed  as  to  become  a  true  decorative 
idea.  This  middle  type,  the  "conventionalized  ornament,"  is 
in  quite  general  use. 

Historic  Ornament. — At  this  particular  point  it  seems  best 
to  discuss  for  a  moment  the  historic  ornament  idea,  because 
this  kind — whether  naturalistic  or  otherwise — has  been  and  is 
in  the  printing  trades  a  good  deal  the  vogue.  Type  books  have 
been  sent  out  with  ornament  taken  indiscriminately,  appa- 


ORNAMENT  267 

rently  from  any  place  and  every  place,  and  printers  have  taken 
these  traditional  motifs  to  be  "real  art,"  using  them  for  bor- 
ders and  in  other  ways  where  ornament  seemed  desirable,  or 
where  the  client  was  willing  to  have  his  paper  used  in  that 
way. 

A  "period"  in  art  is  an  epoch  in  which  the  activities  of  a 
people  are  dominated  by  one  master  mind.  In  monarchic  1 
countries  until  very  recently  this  has  been  comparatively  sim- 
ple. In  France  the  art  was  the  art  of  Louis  this  or  that,  really 
dictated  by  the  women  of  the  court  and  their  followers.  The 


HOTEL  MAJESTIC 

A  perfectly  organized  service — freedom  -from 
the  usual  restrictions  caused  by  lack  of  space 
— *ttu*  a  Quiz*  an<^  reserved  atmosphere  which 
is  just  as  much  a  part  of  this  hotel  as  the 
structure  itself,  give  The  Majestic  first  claim 
for  exclusive  Receptions,  Weddings,  Parties 
and  Dansants. 

Three  magnificent  Ballrooms. 
J.   CHARLTON  RIVERS,   Managing  Director. 

72-StreetffCeHtral  PaikVfest 


Illustrating  good  balance  of  copy  and  illustration.     Abstract  border 

older  periods,  like  the  Greek,  Roman,  Saracenic,  and  Byzan- 
tine, have  expressed  actual  ideals  of  life,  religious,  political, 
and  social.  These  ideals  have  been  expressed,  like  the  later 
ones,  in  architecture,  painting,  sculpture,  pictures,  literature, 
and  in  ornament. 

It  will  be  cleany  seen  that  ornament  must  be  as  truly  the 
natural,  spontaneous  expression  of  ideas  as  is  architecture, 
music,  or  literature.  The  ideals  and  activities  of  the  time  find 
their  permanent  form  often  in  ornament.  Take  the  Gothic 
period,  for  example.  A  cathedral  would  be  meaningless  with- 
out its  ornament.  The  cathedral  is  symbolic  of  the  greatest 


268  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

religious  enthusiasm  the  world  has  ever  known.  Every  detail 
of  its  ornament  is  symbolic  of  fact  and  fancy  connected  with 
medieval  religious  life.  No  part  of  it  was  for  show,  and  no 
part  of  it  without  a  meaning.  The  Greek  period  represents 
much  the  same  spirit,  with  the  development  of  pure  form 
beauty  as  an  ideal  instead  of  the  spiritual  ideal  of  the  Gothic 
era.  Nowhere  in  the  history  of  ages  is  there  recorded  a  more 
devoted  and  live  interest  than  that  of  the  Greek  in  the  develop- 
ment of  this  pure  form  ideal.  These  are  but  two  of  the  many 
types  of  ornament  which  have  been  the  result  of  the  normal 
activities  of  nations,  based  upon  the  concentrated  ideals  in 
which  they  lived.  This  makes  ornament  not  an  effort  of  show, 
but  the  actual,  living  representation  of  ideas.  Many  of  these 
forms  are  still  used  and  still  retain  their  original  significance, 
and  this  fact  must  be  recognized. 

An  amusing  illustration  of  the  failure  to  catch  the  spirit  of 
a  period  was  seen  in  a  single  group  of  advertisements  with 
borders  of  the  Louis  XV  period.  This  was  a  period  more  un- 
stable, frivolous,  untrammeled  by  convention,  and  ungoverned 
by  restraint,  than  any  other  period  since  the  fall  of  the  Roman 
Empire.  Its  ornament  is  largely  composed  of  rococo  motifs, 
curved  and  twisting,  sinuous  and  sensuous,  non-structural  and 
moving,  dainty  and  effeminate,  wonderfully  worked  together 
in  columns  of  writhing  unstableness.  Borders  precisely  the 
same  in  their  origin  and  much  alike  in  appearance,  taken  di- 
rectly from  this  period,  were  found  around  pages  on  which 
were  advertised  vanity-boxes,  printing  machinery,  paving 
stones,  and  caskets.  While  there  may  be  a  connection  between 
the  first  and  last  of  these  and  the  ornament  used,  there  seems 
to  be  very  little  between  the  second  and  third. 

Although  some  of  the  historic  periods  have  lost  their  sig- 
nificance somewhat,  there  is  always  a  decided  feeling  of  cer- 
tain qualities  in  ornament  which  makes  it  impossible  to  use  it 
indiscriminately. 


ORNAMENT  269 

Ornament  as  Applied  to  Borders. — One  of  the  most  fam- 
iliar applications  of  ornament  in  advertising  is  that  of  border 
use.  At  present  there  is  almost  an  epidemic  of  borders.  They 
vary  from  a  single  line  to  five  or  six  lines,  from  the  Greek  fret 
to  the  Gothic  .trefoil,  from  black  to  white,  through  the  entire 
range  of  the  spectrum.  Because  of  this  we  will  consider  first 
the  function  of  the  border  itself. 

The  general  form  of  the  printed  mass  upon  the  page  has 
been  so  bad,  the  edges  so  ragged  and  disconnected,  that  the 
border  has  very  likely  been 
the  natural  step  between  this 
chaotic  mass  and  the  con- 
structive handling  of  edges 
which  is  rapidly  coming  into 
use.  By  placing  a  line  or 
some  border  arrangement 
around  the  page  and  outside 
the  copy,  an  apparent  unity 
has  been  produced  when 
otherwise  the  page  would 
have  been  an  unorganized 
mass.  The  first  function  of 
the  border  is  to  sustain  the 
material,  help  to  make  it 


structural,  and  make  it  ap- 
pear to  belong  together  and 
also  to  the  edge  of  the 
paper.  In  this  the  border 
has  done  a  great  work. 

The  second  function,  un- 
less the  border  is  a  purely 
abstract  one  like  a  line  or  a 
Saracenic  motif,  is  to  ex- 
press an  idea.  It  sometimes 


Shoe  Facts 

The  insides  off  "our 
boots  have  no  wrinkled 
or  bunched  lining  to 
mar  one's  foot  comfort, 

Neither  are  the  leath- 
ers strained  or  weak- 
ened. TNhey_are  full  cut 
and  hand-stitched  with- 
out stretching. 

Compare  any  of  our 
products  with  the  origi- 
nal last,  and  you  will 
find  it  absolutely  ac- 
GOX  r  ate— the  hand- 

sewing  holds  it  fast  to  the 
"mould."     This  is  not  true 

of  machine -made  sh<5es. 
J)rcss .  Pumps  arid?  Sports 
Bovts    in    large    variety. 

NfflM 

BOOTMAKERS  FOR  ME!  AND  WtVEfl 

1  East  35th  St.,  New  "York 


An  arrangement  showing  border, 
sides  and  bottom  well  sustained,  con- 
sistent though  a  little  strong.  Top 
inconsistent  in  line  motif  and  feeling 


THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

happens  that  a  fact  which  is  expressed  in  copy  or  illustra- 
tion may  be  repeated  in  border  form,  thereby  strengthening 
the  appeal.  Often  a  border  creates  a  mental  state,  the  quality 
of  which  is  exactly  the  one  you  wish  to  have  understood  by 
your  illustration  or  your  copy.  Take,  for  instance,  the  Louis 
XV  border  and  the  vanity  box.  The  very  shapes  and  sizes  of 
the  ornament  suggest  powder-puffs,  frizzes,  mirrors  and  the 
like.  When  a  border  can  do  this  successfully  it  is  well  used. 
This  is  really,  then,  expressing  a  fact  or  creating  an  atmo- 
sphere. 

Allowing  this  to  be  true,  there  are  certain  cautions  which 
it  is  necessary  to  observe  in  the  use  of  borders,  or  their  ef- 
ficacy is  destroyed.  Since  the  border  is  used  to  harmonize  the 
copy  with  the  edge,  sustain  it  and  make  it  stronger,  it  must  in 
no  case  be  itself  stronger  than  the  copy.  This  is  the  same  prin- 
ciple as  that  of  the  picture- frame.  Whenever  a  picture- frame 
makes  a  stronger  appeal  than  the  picture,  the  frame  is  bad.  If 
the  advertising  copy  is  of  any  account,  let  it  seem  so  by  being 
stronger  than  the  border  which  surrounds  it. 

Furthermore,  unless  the  border  can  be  made  to  express  the 
same  idea  that  the  rest  of  the  display  expresses,  it  is  very  de- 
sirable that  it  be  kept  purely  abstract,  that  is,  in  line  or  shape 
without  the  suggestion  of  historic  style  or  of  a  natural  unit. 
An  irrevelant  border  is  as  bad  as  an  irrevelant  illustration  and 
sometimes  in  even  worse  taste,  because  ignorance  as  to  the 
meaning  of  ornament  is  less  excusable  than  one's  undying  be- 
lief that  he  must  love  pictures  of  anything  whatever.  We 
have  inherited  that  tradition. 

Initials  and  Other  Applications  of  Ornament — A  second 
use  of  ornament  is  seen  in  the  disposition  to  use  extravagantly 
what  are  known  as  ornamental  initials.  They  are  of  all 
shapes,  sizes,  periods,  colors,  and  forms,  and  represent  in  their 
aggregate  probably  the  most  atrocious  combinations  the  mar- 


ORNAMENT 


271 


ket  affords.  Whenever  the  ornament  becomes  more  attractive 
than  the  letter  itself,  so  that  it  is  difficult  for  the  mind  not 
only  to  select  the  letter  but  to  connect  it  with  the  rest  of  the 
world,  the  use  is  not  in  good  taste.  It  seldom  happens  that 
an  initial  letter  which  occupies  more  than  three  lines  of  space, 
from  top  to  bottom,  can  be  successfully  used.  The  letter  itself 
should  be,  of  course,  near  the  top,  so  that  its  top  is  horizontal 
with  the  first  line  of  print. 
Function  precedes  looks  in 
its  importance,  in  the  field 
of  advertising  display  as  in 
other  fields.  We  are  not 
bound  by  tradition  to  accept 
and  use  any  and  all  forms 
of  decorative  initials  even 
though  they  were  developed 
by  the  monasteries  in  me- 
dieval days.  There  was 
plenty  of  time  for  such 
things  in  those  days  and  the 
object  for  which  these 
things  were  designed  was 
entirely  different  from  the 
object  of  their  use  in  pres- 
ent-day problems. 


!:£,, 

Oriental 
Rugs 


« 


Head-  and  Tail-Pieces.— 

The  third  important  use  of 
ornament  concerns  what  we 
shall  call  head-  and  tail- 
pieces and  "space-fillers." 
It  has  been  the  custom  to 
select  pieces  of  ornament, 
frequently  triangular,  turn 


whose  au- 
thenticity Is 
vouch  d  for  by  the 
great  .importing 
house  of  Kent-Cos- 
tlkyan,  inc. 

Thousands  of 
Small  Rugs  and 
hundreds  of  Rocm 
Size  Risers  and  Rugs 
In  extraordinary  di- 
mensions selling  at 
less  than  wholesale 
prices. 

Mall  Order*  Pilled. 

KENT-COSTIKYAN 

Incorporated 

8  West  38th  St. 
New  York  City 


Arrangement  whose  border  in  style 
and  feeling  is  in  keeping  with  goods 
advertised.  A  little  too  strong  for 
text 


272  THF   PRINCIPLES    OF   AD.VERTISING 

them  upside  down,  and  attempt  to  fill  out  a  page  half -filled 
with  copy.  Worse  practices  are  prevalent,  of  dropping  in  a 
clover  leaf,  a  dot,  a  small  rose,  a  trefoil — perhaps  repeating  it 
to  fill  out  a  line.  These  practices  of  introducing  ornament 
heterogeneously  to  fill  out  space  are  distracting  and  tawdry 
and  in  bad  taste.  Silence  is  golden.  Blank  space  is  equally 
eloquent.  Good  form  demands  dignity,  and  the  copy  should 
ordinarily  speak  for  itself.  The  most  pernicious  use  of  orna- 
ment is  in  its  introduction  into  spaces  of  this  kind  and  on 
pages  otherwise  unblemished.  Ornament  is  effective  only 
when  it  is  needed  and  when  it  bears  a  distinct  relation  to  the 
other  materials  with  which  it  is  used. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

TYPE  PRINCIPLES 

Line  Meanings. — Before  attempting  to  consider  type  faces 
it  will  be  profitable  to  examine  briefly  the  meaning  and  sig- 
nificance of  the  various  kinds  of  lines  of  which  they  are  com- 
posed. 

Words  are  abstract  symbols  having  meanings  only  as  we 
have  so  decreed  by  choice  and  use.  Lines  have  much  the  same 
history.  Primitive  races,  in  their  hieroglyphics  and  other 
language  forms,  used  lines  to  express  ideas  of  both  fact  and 
quality.  The  Egyptians  expressed  a  regiment  of  soldiers 
standing  at  rest,  by  a  row  of  vertical  lines.  Grain  and  forests 
undisturbed  by  wind  were  represented  in  the  same  way.  Flat 
objects,  such  as  a  river,  prairie,  or  the  ocean,  were  often  rep- 
resented by  straight  horizontal  lines;  while  waving  grain, 
ocean  waves,  persons  in  motion,  and  other  activities,  were 
represented  by  oblique  lines.  The  seemingly  inherent  ten- 
dency to  use  lines  to  represent  various  quiet  and  active  posi- 
tions has  led  to  a  feeling  for  these  expressions  in  persons 
seeing  such  line  forms. 

Lines  may  be  said  to  be  of  two  kinds:  straight  and  curved. 
The  straight  line  is  the  shortest  distance  between  two  points 
and,  as  the  difinition  signifies,  it  is  direct,  forceful,  structural, 
determinate  in  its  character  and  feeling.  The  curved  line, 
which  changes  its  direction  at  each  point,  is  less  direct,  non- 
structural,  and  decorative  in  its  character.  Furniture  con- 
structed on  curved  lines  has  not  the  same  feeling  of  security  as 
that  built  on  straight  lines.  This  is  equally  true  in  architec- 
tural construction — except  in  the  case  of  the  arch.  It  is  true 
in  type  faces. 

273 


274 


THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 


announce 

CdnGfifaq 


Straight  Lines. — A  straight  line  in  a  vertical  position  was 
used  by  primitive  people  to  express  such  qualities  as  growth, 
unrest,  aspiration,  repose  in  gravitation,  and  dignity  of  posi- 
tion. The  same  line  when  horizontally  placed  has  indicated 

rest,  repose,  sleep,  death, 
and  has  represented  water 
level,  flat  land,  and  the  like, 
in  concrete  forms.  The 
oblique  straight  line  has  rep- 
resented action.  It  has  the 
feeling  of  unrest,  instability, 
and  creates  the  idea  of  lack 
of  harmony  with  the  law  of 
gravitation. 


Curved  Lines — Curved 
lines  are  of  three  classes, 
which  should  be  studied 
carefully  that  one  may  feel 
at  once  the  significance  and 
possibility  in  each  of  the 
curves  whenever  it  enters 
into  the  contour  of  any  made 
thing. 

The  circle  is  a  plane  figure 
bounded  by  a  curved  line 
every  point  of  which  is 
equally  distant  from  a  point 
within  called  the  center.  An 


n 

-  Wras  Jiff 


Colons-      raps     iff  fS 
J     Goafs  Bouses 
/Ttiffin  eru  £  Uurs 


of  Ute  Pan*  Fuhtoiu  with 


American  idea* 
exhibited  only  n  their  own  Salon 


onut 


Bad  taste  in  mixing  many  types. 
Main  body  of  type  well  chosen  to 
express  fashion's  frivolities 


arc  in  this  bounding  line  is  the  most  monotonous  curve  we 
have.  Wherever  it  is  taken,  however  great  its  magnitude,  it 
changes  its  direction  at  every  point  in  exactly  the  same  way 
that  it  does  at  every  other  point.  Sometimes,  of  course,  this  is 
desirable,  but  for  decorative  purposes  and  subtlety  of  feeling 


TYPE    PRINCIPLES  275 

the  curve  of  the  circle  is  less  desirable  than  the  other  types. 
The  bounding  curve  of  the  ellipse  changes  its  direction  dif- 
ferently from  one  extreme  of  the  minor  axis  to  the  adjacent 
extreme  of  the  major  axis,  but  changes  in  a  like  manner  be- 
tween the  same  extreme  of  the  minor  axis  and  the  other  ex- 
treme of  the  major  axis.  This  curve  is  less  monotonous  than 
that  of  the  circle ;  therefore  more  subtle.  The  oval  is  bounded 
by  a  curve  which  changes  its  direction  differently  at  every  two 
points  between  one  extreme  of  the  major  axis  and  the  other. 
This  gives  a  curve  of  exceeding  grace,  subtlety,  and  interest, 
and  is  the  curve  upon  which  the  most  interesting  and  beautiful 
curved  line  objects  are  built. 

All  these  kinds  of  lines  are  found  in  their  innumerable 
variations  of  combination  and  thickness  in  type  faces. 

Standard  and  Decorative  Types. — The  supreme  importance 
of  having  a  knowledge  of  form  as  a  medium  for  expressing 
ideas  has  been  already  discussed.  In  no  field  is  there  a  greater 
chance  for  exploitation  of  this  idea  than  in  the  field  known  as 
"type  forms,"  Every  letter  of  every  type  should  convey  in 
itself  not  only  a  feeling  of  fact  but  a  feeling  of  quality,  which 
no  other  type  of  any  kind  could  exactly  express. 

In  discussing  this  subject,  let  us  first  see  type,  or  letters, 
divided  into  two  classes,  the  first  class  of  which  we  shall  call 
"fixed  forms."  By  this  we  mean  such  type  as  has  been  stand- 
ardized and  cast  and  is  used  in  general  book,  newspaper, 
magazine,  and  catalogue  work.  Because  these  are  fixed  in 
form  and  abstract  in  their  nature  they  are,  of  course,  stand- 
ardized in  shape ;  they  are  also  standardized  in  quality. 

Four  Schools  of  Type. — There  are  almost  innumerable  va- 
rieties, or  "faces,"  of  standardized  type  that  have  been  de- 
signed by  the  various  type-founders.  New  ones  are  being 
added  to  the  list  every  year.  All  of  them,  however,  may  be 


276  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

grouped  in  four  schools,  according  to  their  general  characteris- 
tics and  the  source  from  which  they  derived  their  inspiration. 

Gothic  has  its  letters  of  block  form,  with  the  line  of  the 
same  thickness  throughout,  and  the  curves  and  angles  all 
regular.  The  letters  have  no  ornaments  or  "serifs."  Natur- 
ally the  school  is  very  small,  and  its  usefulness  is  limited  to 
a  narrow  range. 

Old  English  or  Text  resembles  the  lettering  used  in  old 
manuscripts  and  retained  with  some  modifications  in  much  of 
modern  German  printing.  This  old  lettering  was  executed 
with  brush  strokes  rather  than  with  a  pen ;  consequently  there 
is  some  -distinction  between  the  wide  lines  and  thin  lines  in  the 
composition  of  each  letter,  and  there  is  opportunity  for  some 
ornamental  variation. 

Script  is  a  frank  imitation  of  handwriting.  The  possi- 
bilities of  variation  are  wide,  but  the  actual  use  of  script  is 
greatly  limited  by  the  fact  that  handwriting  is  no  longer  used 
to  any  extent  for  business  letters  or  other  messages,  and  hence 
the  chief  reason  for  printed  matter  that  resembles  handwrit- 
ing has  disappeared.  Script,  moreover,  is  somewhat  less  leg- 
ible and  much  less  generally  practicable  than  other  types. 

Roman  is  by  far  the  most  important  class  and  is,  in  fact, 
used  more  extensively  for  advertising  purposes  than  all  the 
others  combined.  Many  of  its  earliest  exemplifications  are  to 
be  found  in  the  art  of  the  stone-cutter.  Its  characteristics  are 
the  combination  of  thick  lines  with  thin  lines,  of  uniform  lines 
with  shaded  lines,  and  the  use  of  "serifs,"  or  ornamental  pro- 
jections. These  elements  give  ample  range  for  many  varia- 
tions in  design.  In  the  general  class  "Roman"  are  included 
most  of  the  famous  and  widely  used  type  faces,  such  as  Caslon, 
Cheltenham,  Bookman,  Scotch,  and  Bodoni. 

Old-Style  and  Modern  Faces. —  It  is  customary  to  refer  to 
Roman  type  faces  as  "old-style"  or  "modern."  The  chief  dis- 


TYPE   PRINCIPLES  277 

tinction,  and  the  one  most  quickly  recognizable,  is  that  in  "old- 
style,"  or  antique,  there  is  no  great  difference  between  the 
heavy  and  the  light  part  of  the  letter,  whereas  in  modern 
Roman  faces  the  difference  is  pronounced.  Some  of  the  mod- 
ern faces  have  very  heavy  shading  combined  with  the  thinnest 
hair  lines.  Bookman  represents  the  old-style  branch,  while 
Bodini  is  extremely  modern. 

The  more  popular  type  faces,  such  as  Caslon  and  Chelten- 
ham, really  comprise  many  groups  of  faces,  linked  together 
by  general  similarities,  but  differing  in  minor  particulars. 
Thus,  the  Cheltenham  family  includes  Cheltenham  old-style, 
Cheltenham  wide,  Cheltenham  bold,  and  Cheltenham  italic,  as 
main  varieties,  with  several  others  of  less  importance,  such  as 
condensed  and  extra  condensed,  extended  and  extra  ex- 
tended, etc. 

Mastery  of  the  possibilities  of  type  requires  long  study 
and  practice.  One  who  will  give  some  thought  to  the  funda- 
mental line  qualities,  however,  will  soon  be  able  to  avoid  using 
type  faces  that  fail  to  express  the  facts  and  qualities  intended. 
He  will  also  discover  some  of  the  practical  limitations  of  dif- 
ferent faces.  Cheltenham  old-style,  for  instance,  will  be  found 
very  compact  and  economical  of  space,  but  lacking  in  grace 
and  subtlety.  Caslon  will  seem  safer  and  more  readable, 
though  perhaps  ultra-dignified.  Scotch  will  appear  livelier 
and  less  monotonous  in  color.  Bookman  and  Antique  old- 
style  will  afford  excellent  legibility,  especially  on  rough  news- 
paper stock,  where  Bodoni  and  other  type  with  light  hair  lines 
would  have  a  tendency  to  blur  and  lose  the  delicacy  that  gives 
them  charm  under  other  conditions. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  copy  in  words  must  be  set  in 
type,  it  is  obvious  that  the  choice  of  type  for  legibility,  feeling, 
and  decorative  quality,  is  a  most  important  factor  in  insuring 
that  the  impression  made  shall  be  the  one  intended  by  the 
advertiser.  Fortunately  the  range  of  standard  type  faces  is 


278  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

wide  enough  to  afford  the  possibility  of  securing  almost  pre- 
cisely any  combination  desired. 

Hand-Made  Type.— If  the  problem  is  one  in  which  the  let- 
ters may  be  hand-made  or  particularly  made  for  this  special 
problem,  the  situation  is  infinitely  more  interesting.  In  ad- 
vertising the  frivolous  objects  in  theatrical  make-up,  or 
woman's  lingerie,  letters  may  be  constructed  uniting  straight 
and  curved  lines  in  such  proportions  that  on  the  presentation 
of  the  word  "lingerie/'  or  "theatrical  make-up,"  or  "false 
hair,"  one  is  obliged  by  very  virtue  of  the  letter  form  to  visu- 
alize the  object  advertised. 

The  effort  to  design  type  which  shall  perfectly  suggest  the 
idea  has  been  the  reason  no  doubt  for  many  new  types  which 
have  been  put  on  the  market  in  the  last  few  years.  It  should 
be  remembered,  however,  that  not  all  things  new  are  decora- 
tive, nor  is  it  desirable  to  overdecorate  anything,  even  the  page 
on  which  type  is  the  decorative  feature.  And  it  must  further 
be  borne  in  mind  that  the  same  formula  which  expresses 
frivolity,  insincerity,  and  change,  cannot  express  stability,  dig- 
nity, and  repose. 

Type  Emphasis. — The  question  of  italics  as  a  means  of 
emphasis  naturally  presents  itself  as  a  factor  in  type  use.  Tra- 
dition has  declared  that  italics  shall  be  used  to  make  stronger 
or  more  forceful  a  word  or  phrase.  It  seems  well  at  first  to 
see  in  what  other  ways  the  same  effect  may  be  obtained.  A 
word  may  be  effectively  underlined  when  this  is  not  done  too 
often.  It  may,  however,  happen  so  often  that  the  page  be- 
comes a  spotted  mass.  Sometimes  a  stronger  type  face  may 
be  used,  thereby  emphasizing  the  important  word.  If  this  oc- 
curs many  times  the  page  becomes  unbalanced,  or  is  likely  to 
express  the  same  spotted  appearance  as  in  the  use  of  under- 
lining. Capital  letters  throughout  the  word  produce  the  same 


TYPE   PRINCIPLES  279 

i  Strength 

N 
E 


CHEAPNESS 

B 
T 

V  common  sense 


femininity 

Severity 


ANTIQUITY  DIGNITY 

Showing  how  styles  in  type  suggest  by  their  form  the  prime  quality 
which  they  represent  (by  courtesy  of  Benjamin  Sherbow) 

effect,  sometimes  pleasantly  and  sometimes  awkwardly.  When 
any  of  these  three  forms  of  emphasis  is  used,  however,  greater 
strength  is  certainly  obtained.  In  each  case  the  word  actually 
appears  stronger  for  the  change.  When  italics  are  used,  how- 
ever, the  result  is  quite  different.  The  word  which  is  italicized 
is  actually  weakened,  not  strengthened,  by  the  change  of  type. 


28o  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

It  will  be  noted,  by  the  way,  that  if  very  many  italicized  words 
appear  on  the  page  the  effect  is  much  the  same  as  one  sees  on 


"CRAFTSMAN" 

(TV**,  itarkt  Rigittfrtd  t»  V.  3.  Paint  Ogte*) 

Furniture  _^          Metal-work 

Furnishings         Jlial  Leathers 


Fabrics  Needlework 

arc    on    sale    at    the    warerooms    of    our    associates   in   the 


Illustrating  a  type  whose  feeling  in  form  is  similar  to  the  idea  expressed. 
Trade-mark  well  placed  but  underlining  unessential. 

a  pond  with  very  thin  ice  and  many  holes  made  by  stones  or 
other  missiles.  The  page  as  a  whole  is  greatly  weakened  by 
the  general  use  of  italics. 

It  will  be  seen  from  this  discussion,  surely,  that  an  extrava- 
gant use  of  any  form  of  type  emphasis  is  bad  taste  and  that 
there  may  at  least  be  a  variation  from  the  accepted  form  of 
italic  use. 

It  will  be  found  helpful  here  to  refer  to  the  psychological 
principles  involved  in  the  use  of  type.  These  were  presented 
in  Chapter  XL 

Summary. — It  is  the  purpose  of  this  section  to  awaken  a 
keener  interest  in  the  possibility  of  the  selection  of  type  when 
expressing  fundamental  ideas  of  quality  in  objects.  Too  long 
has  type  been — as  color  has  been — just  a  matter  of  like  and 
dislike.  Too  long  have  people  worshiped  at  the  shrine  of  the 
individual  who  created  the  type.  And  far  too  long  have 


TYPE    PRINCIPLES  281 

printers  ignored  the  possibility  of  this  form  of  abstract  lan- 
guage expression.  If  one  becomes  interested  in  working  out 
the  possible  qualities  which  type  may  express  he  at  once  sees 
its  supplementary  power  as  an  element  in  advertising  display. 
Surely  a  larger  harmony  exists  in  any  advertising  layout 
when  the  copy,  the  form,  the  color,  the  illustrations,  the  orna- 
ment, and  the  type,  speak  the  same  thing  at  the  same  time. 
Here  then  are  five  distinct  elements  of  the  language  of  adver- 
tising display,  each  element  of  which  is  capable  of  expressing 
its  own  ideas  and  functions  and  each  capable  of  supplementing 
the  ideas  and  functions  of  each  of  the  others.  Type  is  no  less 
important  than  color  or  form. 


This  is  Twelve  point  Caslon  Old  Style 
This  is  Twelve  point  Caslon  Bold 
This  is  Twelve  point  Cheltenham  Old  Style 
This  is  Twelve  point  Cheltenham  Wide 
This  is  Twelve  point  Scotch  Roman 
This  is  Twelve  point  Bodoni 
This  is  Twelve  point  Bodoni  Bold 
This  is  Twelve  point  Bookman 
This  is  Twelve  point  Gothic 
tfi  tfi  ®ut£ltt£  point  GDli  lEttglfet):  nr 


A  few  specimen  type  faces 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

LAYING  OUT  THE  ADVERTISEMENT 

Functions  of  the  Layout. —  It  is  always  difficult,  and  often 
impossible,  to  explain  verbally  to  the  printer  the  manner  in 
which  it  is  desired  to  display  an  advertisement.  For  this  rea- 
son, the  builder  of  the  advertisement  should  be  able  to  make 
at  least  a  rough  layout,  or  sketch,  which  will  indicate  how  the 
advertisement  is  to  look  when  finally  printed,  and  will  at  least 
suggest  the  means  whereby  the  result  is  to  be  accomplished. 
The  layout  is  also  valuable  to  the  advertisement-builder  him- 
self in  enabling  him  to  test  in  advance  the  soundness  of  his 
plan,  so  that  waste  of  valuable  time  and  materials  may  be 
avoided. 

Technical  skill  in  drawing  is  not  essential  to  the  making  of 
a  layout,  but  such  skill  is  naturally  an  asset.  If  the  adver- 
tisement is  to  contain  an  illustration,  it  is  helpful  to  place  be- 
fore the  illustrator  a  drawing,  however  crude,  that  will  show 
the  position  of  the  various  characters  and  the  direction  of 
their  movement  and  gaze.  It  is  also  helpful,  in  visualizing 
the  printed  matter,  to  have  the  main  display  lines  hand-lettered 
in  a  style  that  approximates  the  type  face  it  is  proposed  to  use. 

Lacking  such  skill  at  drawing  and  lettering,  the  beginner 
may  produce  a  very  satisfactory  substitute  by  means  of  a  pair 
of  shears  and  a  jar  of  paste.  He  can  cut  from  one  adver- 
tisement an  illustration  of  the  size  and  style  he  intends  to  use; 
from  others  he  may  obtain  display  lines  of  type  faces  he  has 
selected.  This  method,  moreover,  makes  it  unnecessary  to 
know  the  names  of  the  type  faces  or  the  technical  descriptions 
of  the  borders,  ornaments,  and  other  printing  materials.  Some 
experienced  copywriters  make  all  their  layouts  in  this  manner, 

282 


LAYING  OUT  THE  ADVERTISEMENT  283 

even  after  they  are  thoroughly  familiar  with  printing  tech- 
nique. 

As  there  are  two  purposes  in  making  a  layout,  there  are  two 
kinds  of  layouts.  The  first  is  sometimes  called  the  "layout  in 
mass"  and  is  not  intended  for  the  use  of  the  printer.  It  merely 
shows  the  general  appearance  the  advertisement  will  have,  so 
that  its  impression  may  be  tested  from  the  standpoint  of  form, 
balance,  unity,  and  the  like.  The  second  is  the  working  lay- 
out, from  which  the  illustrator,  the  type  compositor,  and  the 
other  technical  specialists,  may  obtain  definite  instructions  for 
executing  their  several  parts  of  the  work.  It  is  possible,  of 
course,  for  one  layout  to  serve  both  purposes,  and  the  expert 
generally  contrives  to  make  his  layout  in  this  way.  The  be- 
ginner, however,  will  find  it  better  to  make  two  separate  lay- 
outs. 

The  Layout  in  Mass. — Consider  first  the  layout  in  mass 
for  an  all-type  advertisement.  On  a  sheet  of  drawing  paper 
measure  a  rectangle  the  exact  size  and  shape  of  the  space  the 
advertisement  is  to  occupy.  If  it  is  to  have  a  border,  draw 
this  with  a  soft  pencil.  Plain-rule  borders  can  be  represented 
exactly;  fancy  borders  can  be  shown  by  blocking  roughly  to 
the  proper  width  and  to  the  degree  of  grayness  or  blackness 
the  border  is  to  have,  without  attempting  to  reproduce  the 
design. 

Now  estimate  the  space  the  type  matter  should  occupy. 
Refer  to  the  principles  of  margins,  to  make  sure  that  white 
space  is  allowed  in  the  right  amount  and  correctly  propor- 
tioned at  the  bottom,  the  sides,  and  the  top.  When  these 
margins  have  been  determined,  it  is  well  to  indicate  them 
with  a  very  faint  pencil  line  which  can  later  be  erased. 

Decide  where  the  display  lines  are  to  be  placed ;  and  how 
heavy  they  are  to  be.  It  is  not  necessary  to  letter  them;  sim- 
ply block  in  with  the  pencil  the  space  they  will  occupy.  The 


284 


THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 


width  and  blackness  of  these  masses  should  indicate  the  rela- 
tive height  and  boldness  of  the  display  type.  Initial  letters  and 
ornaments  may  be  shown  in  the  same  rough  way.  Finally 

draw    in    rows    of    parallel 
lines  to  show  the  text  mat- 
«g.™        g*?m  i-     ter'  us*n£  broad  lines  rather 
«•  f  ar  aPart  f  or  the  larger  type, 

£  ^I  *  *  ^7  «"  gather,  for  the  smaller  type. 
Remember  that  type  in 
masses  looks  gray,  not  black, 
and  make  sure  that  your 
page  gives  that  impression. 

Testing  the  Display. — As 
you  look  over  this  layout, 
you  immediately  discover 
that  your  border  is  too 
heavy,  or  the  base  of  your 
advertisement  too  weak ; 
that  you  have  not  secured 
balance,  or  that  your  display 

lines  are  too  numerous.  These  faults  can  easily  be  corrected. 
Many  a  badly  displayed  advertisement  would  never  have  ap- 
peared if  a  rough  layout  in  mass  had  originally  been  made  of 
it,  for  the  faults  would  have  -been  discovered  and  removed 
then.  After  the  type  was  set,  it  was  allowed  to  stand,  either 
because  there  was  not  time  enough  to  reset  it,  or  it  was  not 
considered  necessary  to  incur  the  added  expense,  or  the  one 
responsible  was  unwilling  to  admit  his  mistake. 

If  the  advertisement  is  to  contain  illustration  or  color,  the 
principles  of  making  the  layout  in  mass  are  essentially  the 
same.  There  is  practically  no  attempt  at  exact  representation; 
the  purpose  rather  is  to  produce  something  that  will  give  the 


Rough  "layout  in  mass"  for  a  news- 
paper advertisement  (by  courtesy  of 
C.  Hayes  Sprague) 


LAYING  OUT  THE  ADVERTISEMENT 


285 


COLUMBIA      SONORA          EDISON 


same  general  impression  in  respect  to  size,  arrangement,  color, 
intensity,  balance,  and  the  like.    After  a  little  experience,  one 
can  as  readily  determine   from  the  layout  in  mass  as  from 
the  finished  advertisement 
whether  the  illustration  is 
of  the  right  size  and  well 
placed  with  reference  to  the 
type   matter,   and   whether 
the  color  mass  is  harmoni- 
ous and  of  suitable  amount 
and  intensity. 

What  is  even  more  impor- 
tant, such  a  layout  often  is 
sufficient  to  indicate  the  uni- 
ty or  lack  of  unity  of  the  dis- 
play as  a  whole.  The  most 
common  fault  in  advertis- 
ing display  is  too  lavish  a 
use  of  materials.  Rarely  are 
all  the  elements  of  display 
needed.  Often  copy  and 


You  can  buy  any  one  .of  them  here.  Hard- 
man  House  offers  a  .representative  assort- 
ment of  these  three  wonderful  instruments 
- — and  the  privacy  of  main-floor  Concert 
Booths  for "  comparative  judgment.  You 
are  welcome  at  Fifth  Avenue's  Phonograph 
Headquarters.  .Drop.in.today.,  Convenient 
terms  if,  desired., 

A  COMPLETE  LINE  OF 
COLUMBIA  AND.EDISON  RECORDS 

HARDMAN,  PECK  &  CO. 

Founded  1842 
433  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York       47-51  FUlbiub  Ave,  Brooklyn 

<B«.«»  M.b  »d  39,b  Su.) 


Well-balanced    and    dignified    news- 
paper advertisement. 


type  are  enough.  Sometimes  copy  and  illustrations  say  all 
that  can  be  said.  One  color  added  to  black  is  usually  all  that 
can  be  used  advantageously.  To  know  what  to  reject  is  as 
important  as  to  know  what  to  select. 

The  Working  Layout.— With  the  layout  in  mass  satis- 
factorily arranged,  it  is  a  comparatively  easy  task  to  make  the 
working  layout.  Here  exactness  in  all  details  is  essential,  and 
specific  directions  for  the  selection  and  arrangement  of  each 
part  of  the  material  must  be  given  to  the  printer.  These  di- 
rections should  always  be  in  the  margin  and  may  also  be  in 
red  ink  or  blue  pencil  to  distinguish  them  more  sharply  from 
the  copy.  A  simple  border  can  be  drawn  in  with  pencil  or  pen. 


286 


THE  PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 


Working   layout   for    newspaper 
tisement   (by  courtesy  of  Gilbert 

to  occupy  and  should  be  of 
the  same  general  style  and 
size  as  the  type  to  be  used. 
The  description  is  given  in 
the  margin  as  "18  point 
Cheltenham,  bold  face,  caps 
and  lower  case.'*'  If  the 
name  of  the  type  face  is  un- 
known, a  sample  may  be 
pasted  in  the  margin.  It  is 
desirable,  however,  to  be- 
come familiar  with  the  com- 
monly used  type  faces,  either 
through  a  type-founder's 
catalogue  or  a  book  supplied 
by  the  printer  showing  the 
faces  he  has  in  stock. 


adver- 
Farrar) 


To  the  corner  a  line  is 
attached  leading  to 
the  description,  as 
"Single  2-pt.  rule." 
More  *"  complex  bor- 
ders, if  taken  from 
a  sample-book,  may 
be  described  in  the 
same  way,  but  to 
avoid  mistakes  it  is 
well,  wherever  possi- 
ble, to  paste  on  a  sam- 
ple of  the  border.  (A 
small  piece  will  do.) 
Display  lines 
should  be  lettered  in 
at  the  places  they  are 


Big  Heavy  Watches 

Made  for  Hard  Wear 

f\m  farmers  .nd  olher  laborer.  who  do  the 
\J   really  heavy  hard  work  require  watches 
that  are  built  Murdy  enough  to  stand  rough 
usage  and  y«  tell  UK  correct  time. 


All  over  this  country  of  o 


Certainly  our  prices  are  not  alarming  and  such 
'  slock  as  ours  helps  wonderfully 
election.  Call  some  day  soon. 


E.    R.    BLACKMER 

Wacka  J 

OPPOSITE  NORMAL  SCHOOL 


Newspaper  advertisement  show- 
ing unusual  effect  obtained  by 
simple  means 


LAYING  OUT  THE  ADVERTISEMENT 


287 


Type  Measurement. —  It  is  even  more  desirable  to  obtain 
some  knowledge  of  type  measurement.  The  method  almost 
universally  used  today  is  called  the  point  system.  The  popular 
sizes  for  text  matter  are  6,  8,  10,  and  12  point.  For  display 
lines  14,  1 8,  24,  30,  and  36  point  are  often  used,  and  occa- 


•£f    _»_     ^d  &  Taylor       »_     J£sf~- 


House  Gowns,  Negligees 
Gf  Kimonos 

Al  UK  Thin  U«ul  Wholtuk  Pnn. 


Muslin  Underwear 


10,000  Pairs 
Women's  Gloves 


^  J  «t 


^  Clearance  of 
Oriental  Rugs 
To  Be  Held  in  the  New  Fifth  Avenue  Store 

To  Give  Even  Better  Values  Than  Heretofore 


Tkn  ExlroorJ,,jr,  O/trimg  ./  fm  Ktrmamkak  Cirpai 

At  Half  Former  Prices 

mjr.,.  ..........  '""gsF      I^TBiujTm  ...........  '"^"5"     F/T 


Women 's  Winter  Coats  imp<,™m  NO^I*,  s.i«  oi 

jtp.Mrdv,iUf,  'Lord  &  Taylor  Linens 


5/950  y  $25,00 

HH-SSo^w 


..  CoH..,^  I 

aSSsa/-*";  3 


***" 


Women  's  Angora  Sweaters 


FJabor.lc  Showmg  of 

Women's  Waists 


j'tf/c  o/  Cor 

rmj.kjt.lc   Pnic  R 

-Mir    /rmr  C>r 


.  ^  ..fc.  w^  h.1  »,« 


^.  Imtmami  Diiplty  of 

Women's  Dresses 


Newspaper  page  with  an  ideal  arrangement  for  attention,  interest,  and 

space  distribution 

sionally  48,  60,  and  72.  Seventy-two  points  make  an  inch. 
Hence,  an  inch  of  space  will  contain  12  lines  of  6-point  type, 
9  lines  of  8-point  type,  6  lines  of  i2-point  (or  pica)  type, 
and  so  on. 

It  should  be  noted  that  the  face  of  the  letter  is  not  quite 
so  large  as  the  body  of  the  type,  as  there  must  be  at  least  a 
narrow  line  of  white  space  between  two  lines  of  type.  Often 
this  narrow  line  is  not  considered  enough  of  a  separation  to 


288  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

make  reading  easy,  and  a  wider  separation  is  effected  by  the 
use  of  leads  (pronounced  "leds") — narrow  strips  of  metal 
less  than  type-high,  which  do  not  show  in  printing.  These 
leads  are  usually  2  points  thick,  though  i -point  and  3-point 
leads  are  sometimes  used.  Where  simply  "leading"  is  speci- 
fied, 2-point  leads  are  understood.  It  can  readily  be  seen  that 
lo-point  type  leaded  fills  as  much  space  as  1 2-point  set  solid. 
In  nearly  every  advertisement  there  is  a  problem  of  type 
measurement  to  be  solved.  Copy  of  a  certain  length  is  to  be 
inserted  and  it  is  necessary  to  find  out  in  what  size  of  type  it 
can  be  set,  or  else  a  certain  size  of  type  is  determined  upon  and 
it  is  necessary  to  find  out  how  much  copy  can  be  allowed.  In 
either  case  the  size  of  the  space  may  be  calculated  in  square 
inches  and  reference  may  then  be  made  to  a  table  showing  the 
number  of  average  words  that  will  go  in  a  square  inch.  The 
number,  of  course,  varies  with  the  type  face  selected,  as  well 
as  with  the  size,  because  some  type  faces  occupy  more  space 
than  others,  or,  as  it  is  commonly  stated,  are  more  space-filling. 

Table  of  Type  Sizes. — The  following  table  includes  some 
of  the  more  commonly  used  faces  and  sizes. 

APPROXIMATE  NUMBER  OF  WORDS  PER  SQUARE  INCH 


Faces    of    Type 

6  Point 
Solid  Leaded 

8  Point 
Solid  Leaded 

10  Point 
Solid  Leaded 

12  Point 
Solid  Leaded 

Cheltenham  O.  S.    . 

62 

45 

38 

29 

24 

20 

16 

M 

Century  O.  S.    .    .    . 

54 

40 

30 

24 

21 

18 

14 

12 

Caslon   O.   S.    .    .    . 

54 

40 

32 

25 

22 

19 

H 

12 

Bodoni             .... 

CA 

40 

T.2 

2C 

22 

10 

ic 

I'J 

Roman  

"v2 

1.Q 

W 

24 

22 

iq 

14 

12 

Scotch  Roman  .    .    . 

5° 

37 

30 

24 

22 

19 

H 

12 

Caslon  bold   .... 

5° 

37 

28 

22 

18 

15 

13 

10 

Antique  O.  S.    .    .    . 

45 

34 

28 

22 

19 

16 

13 

10 

LAYING  OUT  THE  ADVERTISEMENT  289 

By  means  of  this  table  it  is  possible  to  determine  either  the 
amount  of  copy,  the  amount  of  space,  or  the  size  and  face  of 
type,  provided  the  other  two  factors  are  known.  Thus,  if  the 
copy  contains  475  words  and  20  square  inches  are  available,  it 
may  be  set  in  8-point  Scotch  Roman,  Caslon,  or  Bodoni, 
leaded;  or  in  lo-point  Cheltenham  O.  S.,  solid.  If  it  is  de- 
sired to  use  lo-point  Caslon  O.  S.  leaded,  then  a  space  of  25 
square  inches  must  be  found  or  the  copy  cut  down  to  380 
words. 

In  case  paragraphs  are  to  be  separated  by  extra  white 
space,  or  in  case  any  other  factors  tend  in  the  direction  of 
liberal  areas  of  white  space,  due  allowance  must  be  made  in 
the  estimate. 

In  estimating  for  display  lines,  it  is  best  to  count  the  num- 
ber of  letters  in  the  copy  and  to  match  this  against  a  sample 
line  of  the  type  face  under  consideration.  A  space  between 
two  words  is  counted  as  a  letter.  In  all  cases  of  doubt,  allow 
more  space  than  your  estimate  shows  to  be  necessary.  Type 
matter,  either  for  text  or  for  display,  must  not  be  crowded. 

The  copy  should  accompany  the  working  layout.  If  it  is 
divided  into  sections  by  the  display  (either  illustrations  or  dis- 
play lines)  the  different  sections  should  be  designated  by  sym- 
bols and  these  symbols  put  upon  the  layout  in  the  appropriate 
place.  The  ordinary  symbols  are  the  capital  letters  A,  B,  C, 
etc.,  each  enclosed  in  a  small  circle,  and  usually  in  red  ink  or 
blue  pencil.  If  there  are  several  illustrations  or  other  cuts, 
these  should  be  numbered  on  the  layout  and  corresponding 
numbers  placed  on  the  cuts  themselves. 

The  accompanying  reproductions  of  layouts  and  finished 
advertisements  will  illustrate  most  of  the  directions  men- 
tioned above. 

It  should  not  be  inferred  that  it  is  always  necessary  to  pro- 
vide hard-and-fast  directions  for  the  execution  of  every  small 
detail  of  the  advertisement.  The  printer,  if  he  is  a  good 


Thanksgiving  Specials 

At  Radical  Price  Reductions  For  This  Week 


250  Round  Double  Roasters 


PRINCESS  OUTFITS          STANDARD  OUTFITS  REGAL  OUTFITS 

Coniiitmf  of  th«  Fumuhinc*  of  Con.ulmi  of  the  Fumuhing*  of  Conmtinaj  of  the  Furni.hmst  of 

Three  Rooms  '65  »u-c.S,r  Four  Rooms  '125  4'lSft   Five  Rooms  '195  £& 
76™  Week  Puts  This  Combination  High  Grade  Coal  and 
Gas  Range,  Big  Warming  Closet  as  Shown,  in  Your  Home 


, 

gSglg  DinnerSelsFrcc 


•Ubb  bkrgaiu.   Special 


Y«i  cm  h«T.  H  it  yon  buy  Sit 


$00.85 

o^—    s.ttsr.iir^, 


Itrtete  Grmlleware  Set  Free^ilh  any  Stove  at  $15  ',5, 


This  is  the  unorganized  page  with  illustrations  in  excess  of  ideas 

Two    arrangements   on   opposite   pages   in   a    Sunday   paper.      See   the 

geneous 


290 


r\$r.  scrtxo 


Advertising  Does  Not  Add 
to  the  Retail  Cost  of  Goods 

Intelligently  Applied  to  Business,  It  Reduces  the  Selling  Price 
of  Merchandise  and  Increases  the  Profits  of  the  Advertiser 

Once  upon  a  time — not  so  many  years  ago — a  certain  merchant 
kept  a  sign  in  his  window  stating  that  he  could  afford  to  sell  his 
goods  at  lower  prices  than  his,  neighbors  because  he  did  not  spend 
money  for  advertising. 

That  was  nothing  more  nor  less  than  an  admission  that  he  did  not  know  how 

to  intelligently  apply  advertising  to  his  business.  For  years  he  seemed  successfully  to  defy  the  march 
of  advertising  progress.  He  stubbornly  insisted  that  advertising  was  an  expense.  Eventually,  others 
handling  the  same  lines  of  goods  crowded  in  about  him. 

He  felt  secure  because  his  store  had  been  estab-  paper  advertising's  much  as  he  and  his  father 

lished  since  before  the  stirring  days  of  the  Civil  before  him  had  accomplished  in  half  a  century. 

War..  He  had  a  large  folio  wing  that  was  apparently  Although  he  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  the  advertising; 

loyal  to  him.    But  his  new  competitors  were  keen,  men  who  approached  him,  and  lost  his  temper  on 

persistentadVertisers.  Inthecourseofafewyears,  occasions,  the  pressure  became  too  great  and  he 

some  of  them  did  as  much  business  as  he.    Their  was  finally  forced  to  yield.      He  became  an 

merchandise  Was  as  good  as  his  and  they  actually  advertiser.    And  he  regrets  that  he  did  not  sur- 

met  his  prices.     Sometimes  they  annoyingly  went  render  years  before — at  a  time  when  newspaper 

below  his  figures.     It  is  a  fact  that  they  accom-  advertising  began  to  be  recognized  as  an  agent  of 

plished  in  five  years,  by  the  use  of  intelligent  news-  economy  in  business  instead  of  an  added  expense. 

Who  Pays  for  the  Advertising? 

Advertising  costs  money  of  course,  and  there  must  be  some          An  Associated  Press  dispatch  from  Cambridge,  M*s».,  sijrr 

easily  understood  explanation  why  it  i-  not  an  expense—  why  "The  burnu  of  busm**-  r*»«rcli  Mablislied  t»-o  years  ago  at 

it  does  not  add  to  the  cost  of  merchandise  Hnn-ant  I'mM-i-ity  u-    lawd    u-.  lipt  bulletin,  which   deals 

Intelligent  newspaper  advertising  describes  desirable  merchan-  portt'of  Uu  umMtfatimfof  more  tbun  l3olh'oe>stoJeamI'ia™<I!» 

dise  in  an  attractive  manner,  quotes  a  reasonable  price  and  l»«»  "<' """>•     *yt  ";1"r  ''""<!»•  th«  bur«1"  •»"•«• 

points  the  way  co  the  door  of  the  man  who  has  it  for  sale  J^J-  «jj£  ^  .<;;;-;;:;>- ;-  ^  «£  ««-*; 

It  speaks  persuasively  to  thousands  upon  thousands  of  interest-  •nlv<-'  "'•"  "'  *"  ">'  -'"'"i:  i>n...  «i™b  means  that  «ome.tor«» 

ed  readers  every  ,lay  "£,,™'?,  ,V, ,' "  J*«rel  !hwMW*!rt;  on«  a  year  and  «tkm 

It  create?  six  big  5ellmg  days  where  there  used  to  be  only  one  turning  then  stock.,  four  nm»  were  encountered  by  th«  investi- 

or  two.     It  makes  more  business  b>  arousing  more  human  ™":  iiiions  of  capital  could   be  released 

desires.     The-  movement  to  satisfy  th*M  ilu-i-i-s  liirowsanin  ,       mvcs'hlcnt  m  men-Uiindue  if  the  retailer  increased  ms  Mock 

creased  demand   back  upon  the  manufacturer    and  general  ••More  stock  turns,  n  .»  declared,  -meaas  an  increase  in  net 

It  transforms  empty  stores  into  bus\  marts  ot  trade  and  And  advertising    'turns  i 

makes  room  for  new  stores      It  has  made  ( .".•  net  profits  of  a  business  ana  at  me  same  lime  m 

diltrict  one  of  the  great  retail  centers  of  the  Middle  West  selling  prices  possible,  which,    in  turn,  increases 


Cannot  wisely  do  without  advertising 

For  the  first  it  creates  distribution. 

For  the  second  it  provides  customers,  and— 

By  cumulative  effect  works  itself  mtoa  force  which  makesitthe 

most  wonderful  agent  of  economy  that  hosever  been  developed.  • 


The  Plain  Dealer— With  Its   Great   Army  of  Thrifty    Readers— Is  Invaluable  to 
the  Merchant  or  Manufacturer  Who  Wants  .to  Advertise  Intelligently  in  Cleveland 

The  Plain  Dealer 

First  Newspaper  of  Cleveland.  Sixth  City 


This  organized  and  structural  page,  readable  and  understandable 

effect  of  an  established,   dignified  arrangement  in  contrast  to  a  hetero- 
conglomerate 

291 


292  THE    PRINCIPLES    OF*   ADVERTISING 

:raftsman,  may  be  given  a  reasonable  amount  of  latitude.  The 
advertising  man,  however,  is  the  architect  and  his  plans  should 
at  least  show  what  result  is  desired  and  how  it  is  to  be  secured. 

The  Final  Test  of  Display.— The  fact  cannot  be  too 
strongly  emphasized  that  the  general  organization  of  the  ad- 
vertisement is  the  great  essential  to  an  effective  impression. 
This  can  be  tested  in  the  layout  before  a  line  of  type  is  set. 
The  tests  should  determine  whether  the  principles  of  selection 
and  arrangement  have  been  followed  throughout.  T*he 
final  test  of  an  advertisement,  of  course,  is  its  resultful- 
ness  in  dollars  and  cents,  but  this  test  often  comes  too  late. 
Even  a  reasonable  degree  of  resultfulness,  moreover,  does  not 
always  prove  that  a  better  return  might  not  have  been  secured 
with  proper  selection  and  arrangement  of  materials. 

At  all  events,  it  has  been  shown  that  unity  and  harmony  of 
all  the  language  of  an  advertising  message  helps  to  make  the 
impression  effective.  Without  unity  there  is  waste  of  effort, 
and  a  corresponding  loss  of  efficiency.  The  advertising  man 
who  hopes  to  go  far  in  his  profession  must  know  all  the  prin- 
ciples of  advertising  display  and  be  able  to  apply  them. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

THE   MEN 

General  Requirements. — The  value  of  advertising  in  gen- 
eral, as  well  as  its  value  to  any  particular  organization,  de- 
pends in  no  small  degree  upon  the  men  who  direct  and  execute 
it.  For  this  reason,  we  may  profitably  consider  here  the  re- 
quirements of  different  positions  in  the  advertising  business 
and  the  qualifications  a  man  should  possess  to  fill  them  effi- 
ciently. 

Advertising  is  not  a  fundamental  science,  nor  is  it  com- 
posed of  a  group  of  new  fundamental  principles.  It  combines 
many  old  fundamentals  applied  under  new  conditions  and  in 
new  ways.  Every  advertising  man  should  therefore  possess 
a  training  broad  enough  to  include  these  fundamentals. 
Among  them  may  be  mentioned  a  full  knowledge  of  eco- 
nomics, especially  as  applied  in  marketing,  an  understanding 
of  all  the  main  branches  of  business,  a  familiarity  with  the 
basic  principles  of  psychology,  and  an  excellent  command  of 
written  expression  and  of  art  arrangement.  Such  training  is 
sometimes  to  be  obtained  through  experience  as  well  as 
through  systematic  study.  The  importance  of  the  different 
elements  varies  according  to  the  functions  of  the  position  the 
advertising  man  fills. 

The  Advertising  Manager. — The  duties  of  the  advertising 
manager  are  perhaps  the  broadest  in  the  advertising  field  and 
have  the  most  exacting  requirements.  He  has  general  charge 
of  all  operations  of  the  selling  forces  which  lie  outside  those 
used  by  the  salesmen.  Briefly,  these  operations  include  the 
estimating,  the  planning,  and  the  carrying  out  of  the  adver- 


294  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

tising  necessary  in  connection  with  the  business.  These  pro- 
cesses include  the  market  analysis,  the  selection  of  media,  the 
formulation  of  copy  and  display,  and  the  study  of  returns. 
Frequently  they  involve  also  an  adjustment  of  the  advertising 
to  the  work  of  the  sales  organization. 

Literary,  Editorial,  and  Artistic  Requirements. — From  this 
summary  it  is  obvious  that  the  advertising  manager's  work 
requires  literary  power,  editorial  capacity,  artistic  perception, 
an  analytical  mind,  and  executive  ability. 

On  the  literary  side  he  must  be  able  to  take  what  are  to  him 
commonplace  items  and  invest  them  with  an  interest  equal  to 
that  of  the  reading  pages  in  a  publication.  He  must  do  this 
without  the  liberty  of  space  and  subject  which  are  accorded 
the  fiction  and  special  writer. 

His  editorial  capacity  must  be  such  as  to  enable  him  to 
judge  of  the  merits  of  different  methods  of  presentation  and 
arrangement.  He  must  often  do  this  with  respect  to  his  own 
work  as  well  as  that  of  others.  Even  when  he  does  not  write 
the  actual  copy,  it  is  frequently  a  result  of  his  suggestions  and 
the  policy  he  has  established. 

In  addition  to  an  artistic  perception  which  enables  him  to 
choose  between  different  kinds  of  illustration,  type,  ornament, 
and  the  like,  he  must  have  sufficient  knowledge  of  the  limita- 
tions of  make-up  and  typography  and  the  requirements  of  en- 
graving to  insure  that  an  effective  conception  is  effectively  ex- 
pressed. 

Analytical  and  Executive  Ability. — The  above  require- 
ments would  seem  sufficient  for  the  average  mortal,  but  the 
advertising  manager  must  add  to  them  a  capacity  for  analysis. 
The  economic  side  of  advertising  governs  its  operating  side 
and  he  must  be  prepared  to  analyze  the  fundamental  business 
conditions,  possibilities,  and  returns,  before  he  can  determine 


THE   MEN  295 

the  value  of  his  own  work  or  hope  to  repeat  it  successfully. 
If  there  has  been  one  point  more  than  another  in  which  he  has 
usually  failed  to  fulfil  the  requirements,  it  has  been  in  the 
analysis  of  such  factors  and  their  translation  into  charts,  fig- 
ures, and  reports  which  can  be  understood  by  any  business 
man. 

The  advertising  manager  usually  has  a  considerable  organ- 
ization under  him.  This  involves  the  selection  and  handling 
of  men  and  the  ability  to  maintain  discipline  together  with  the 
atmosphere  of  democratic  co-operation  which  is  so  necessary 
to  the  development  of  the  particular  kinds  of  talents  repre- 
sented in  an  advertising  organization. 

The  Advertising  Agent. — The  advertising  agent  occupies 
what  might  be  termed  a  dual  position  in  the  advertising  field. 
In  the  beginning  he  was  merely  a  space-broker  who  bought 
advertising  space  from  different  publications  and  in  turn  sold 
it  to  manufacturers  and  merchants. 

In  his  work  of  selling  he  discovered  that  many  of  those 
who  could  profit  through  the  use  of  advertising  did  not  know 
how  to  use  the  space  so  as  to  get  full  benefit  from  it.  His 
experience  brought  him  in  contact  with  many  businesses  and 
conditions  and  gave  him  many  ideas  as  to  copy  as  well  as  to 
the  relative  value  of  different  mediums  for  a  given  purpose. 
These  ideas  he  passed  along  to  the  merchants  and  manufac- 
turers who  purchased  space  through  him,  and  for  this  service 
he  made  no  charge. 

As  time  went  on  this  service  became  his  great  talking  point, 
and  although  he  still  secured  his  compensation  from  the  pub- 
lisher in  the  form  of  a  commission  on  the  space,  he  regarded 
himself  and  came  to  be  regarded  as  the  advertising  counsel  of 
the  advertiser.  He  began  to  call  the  advertiser  his  client.  As 
a  matter  of  fact,  the  advertiser  is  not  the  client  of  the  adver- 
tising agent  in  the  generally  accepted  term.  The  client  of  the 


296  THE  PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

lawyer  is  the  man  who  retains  him  and  pays  his  bill.  The 
man  who  employs  the  advertising  agent  does  not  pay  him  ex- 
cept indirectly.  The  publisher  pays  the  agent's  commission. 

Agency  Service. — Of  late  years  the  competition  between 
agencies  has  increased  to  such  an  extent  that  service  is  now 
being  offered  beyond  the  production  of  copy  and  advice  on  the 
selection  of  media.  Many  agencies  now  maintain  departments 
for  securing  and  giving  merchandising  information  and  sug- 
gestions. Such  service,  where  efficiently  given,  relieves  the  ad- 
vertiser of  some  of  the  detail  which  formerly  had  to  be 
handled  under  his  own  direct  supervision. 

The  most  important  service  which  the  agencies  give  to  the 
advertiser  still  remains,  however,  in  the  field  of  media  and 
copy.  They  have  spent  years  in  accumulating  knowledge  of 
the  different  media  and  their  relative  advantages  for  different 
propositions.  Closely  allied  with  this  is  their  knowledge  of 
rates  arid  their  ability  to  secure  maximum  advantage  in  the 
matter  of  prices  and  discounts.  They  have  also  been  able  to 
secure  the  best  copywriters  and  layout  men  and  develop  their 
abilities  through  varied  experience  to  a  point  where  they  are 
able  to  produce  most  effective  results. 

There  are  weaknesses  in  the  agency  which  are  perhaps  ob- 
vious from  the  anomalous  position  it  occupies.  Since  the 
agent  is  paid  according  to  the  amount  of  business  he  brings  to 
the  publisher  of  magazines,  newspapers,  or  other  media,  it  is 
a  natural  temptation  for  him  to  get  the  advertiser  to  spend 
as  much  money  as  possible.  It  is  true  that  the  wise  agent  real- 
izes that  it  is  to  his  advantage  in  the  long  run  to  have  his  client 
spend  his  advertising  appropriation  economically.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  agent  as  counsel  and  the  agent  as  commission 
man  sometimes  have  divergent  interests  and  the  result  is  a 
compromise  which  is  something  short  of  the  ideal  condition 
for  the  advertiser. 


THE   MEN  297 

Requirements  of  Agent. — In  the  small  agency,  where  the 
principals  plan  and  execute  practically  all  the  work,  the  re- 
quirements as  to  capacity  and  training  approximate  closely 
those  of  the  advertising  manager.  The  large  agency  is  com- 
posed mainly  of  specialists,  some  of  whom  know  compara- 
tively little  about  the  factors  in  advertising  that  do  riot  enter 
their  particular  fields.  Usually  they  are  grouped  in  the  copy 
department,  the  art  department,  the  rate  and  checking  depart- 
ment, and  the  business-getting  department.  The  executives, 
however,  must  of  necessity  be  thoroughly  conversant  with 
every  part  of  the  work  and  must  be  broad-gauged  men  as  well. 
The  heads  of  agencies  include  many  of  the  best  brains  in  ad- 
vertising. 

It  naturally  follows,  that  those  in  subordinate  positions  in 
agencies  can  profit  by  capacity  and  training  that  includes  more 
than  their  own  special  fields.  The  more  closely  they  approxi- 
mate the  combination  of  qualifications  that  have  been  outlined 
for  the  advertising  manager,  the  better  fitted  they  are  likely  to 
be  to  perform  their  several  tasks  efficiently  and  to  mount  to 
positions  of  higher  responsibility. 

The  Publisher. — The  publisher  takes  rank  as  an  advertis- 
ing man  because  he  provides  the  audience.  His  function  as 
advertising  man,  however,  was  originally  thrust  upon  him. 
Examination  of  the  history  of  periodicals  discloses  the  inter- 
esting fact  that  in  the  early  days  the  publisher  disliked  to  give 
up  any  portion  of  the  space  for  advertising,  limited  its  amount, 
subordinated  its  position,  and  even  left  it  out  if  the  reading 
matter  covered  more  space  than  was  allowed  for.  Until  re- 
cently, for  that  matter,  it  was  generally  the  custom  to  sepa- 
rate the  advertising  section  from  the  reading  matter  in  every 
way  possible. 

Today,  of  course,  the  whole  situation  is  changed.  The 
price  at  which  publications  must  be  sold  in  the  face  of  compe- 


298  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

tition,  and  the  revenue  which  can  be  secured  through  adver- 
tising, have  made  it  an  important  part  of  the  periodical.  In 
few  cases  does  a  periodical  now  sell  at  a  price  that  would  pay 
for  the  cost  of  production.  The  only  thing  which  makes  it 
possible  to  get  out  such  a  newspaper  as  the  Chicago  Tribune 
for  two  cents,  or  such  a  magazine  as  the  Saturday  Evening 
Post  for  five  cents,  is  the  fact  that  the  advertising  possibilities 
of  the  medium  are  such  that  the  advertising  revenue  will  take 
care  of  the  difference  between  cost  of  production  and  subscrip- 
tion price  and  produce  a  profit  in  addition. 

Space  versus  Service — Under  these  circumstances  it  is 
natural  that  publishers  generally  should  take  keen  interest  in 
advertising  and  use  every  effort  to  develop  this  part  of  their 
business.  Unfortunately  their  zeal  has  not  in  all  cases  been 
wisely  directed,  because  not  all  have  realized  precisely  what 
they  are  selling.  It  is  customary  to  refer  to  their  commodity 
as  space  and  to  measure  this  in  terms  of  agate  lines  or  inches. 
Actually,  however,  the  publisher  is  not  selling  space ;  he  is  sell- 
ing a  service.  He  is  selling  the  advertiser  the  opportunity  to 
address  an  audience  which  he  has  gathered  together.  Such 
matters  as  size  of  space  and  position  are  only  limitations  upon 
the  favorableness  of  the  advertiser's  opportunity  to  be  heard. 

When  the  matter  is  considered  from  this  view-point,  it  is 
evident  that  the  advertising  value  of  the  opportunity  must  be 
measured  not  only  by  the  size  of  the  audience,  but  also  by  its 
quality  and  its  interest  in  the  matters  presented.  Obvious  as 
this  may  seem,  the  fact  is  that  some  publishers  have  eagerly 
grasped  at  any  and  every  way  to  increase  circulation  by  the 
use  of  premiums,  prizes,  and  the  like,  regardless  of  the  lack  of 
interest  that  subscribers  thus  secured  would  have  in  the  pub- 
lication itself.  In  many  cases  the  cost  of  securing  the  sub- 
scriber was  greater  than  the  subscription  price  paid,  so  that 
the  entire  burden  had  to  fall  on  advertising  revenue. 


THE   MEN 


299 


Conditions  in  this  respect  have  improved  much  within  the 
past  few  years.  The  publisher  has  come  to  realize  that  the 
service  he  must  give  involves  the  gathering  together  of  an  ap- 
preciative and  interested  audience.  In  a  word,  he  must  offer 
reader-attention  and  reader-interest,  and  the  degree  in  which 
he  provides  them  measures  the  degree  of  his  service. 

Methods  of  Selling. — The  most  progressive  publishers  are 
also  conducting  their  selling  efforts  along  service  lines.  Their 
representatives  try  to  give  advertisers  such  suggestions  about 
markets  and  methods  of  advertising  as  they  have  collected 
through  their  experience.  In  not  a  few  instances,  they  dis- 
courage the  buying  of  space  in  the  publication  by  those  who 
they  believe  will  not  profit  from  its  use. 

A  few  great  publishing  houses  maintain  research  depart- 
ments which  undertake  elaborate  analyses  of  different  fields  of 
business  with  the  object  of  obtaining  marketing  information 
of  value  to  advertisers.  In  connection  with  this,  naturally, 
they  furnish  detailed  analyses  of  the  number,  quality,  and  dis- 
tribution of  their  subscribers  and  readers. 

Inasmuch  as  not  all  publishers  are  enlightened  enough  at 
present  to  take  this  point  of  view,  and  as  statistics  can  often 
be  presented  in  a  way  that  emphasizes  strong  points  and  con- 
ceals weak  ones,  bureaus  working  in  the  interest  of  adver- 
tisers also  make  studies  of  circulations.  The  most  important 
of  these  organizations  is  the  Audit  Bureau  of  Circulations, 
which  secures  detailed  analyses  in  standardized  form,  by  the 
use  of  which  it  is  possible  to  make  accurate  comparison  of  the 
advertising  value  of  different  publications. 

The  advertising  representatives  of  a  publisher  are  prima- 
rily salesmen,  but  the  general  tendency  is  for  them  to  inform 
themselves  more  and  more  in  all  the  factors  that  enter  adver- 
tising processes.  Many  of  them  combine  in  high  degree  all 
the  qualifications  mentioned  earlier  in  this  chapter. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 
PERIODICAL  MEDIA 

The  First  Periodicals. — Periodical  media  began  with  the 
discovery  of  printing  and  came  into  general  use  with  the  devel- 
opment of  cheap  paper.  The  earliest  form  of  periodical 
medium  was  the  news  letter,  which  was  occasionally  published 
in  centers  of  commercial  and  political  activity  and  circulated 
among  a  limited  audience.  Even  in  these  early  publications 
we  find  advertising  announcements  of  some  kind.  The  value  of 
the  audience  which  a  periodical  provides  for  advertising  mes- 
sages is  therefore  not  a  new  discovery  nor  its  application  new. 

The  fundamental  value  of  the  periodical  media  from  an 
advertising  standpoint  is  due  to  the  instinct  of  curiosity  inher- 
ent in  human  nature  and  the  tendency  for  readers  who  have 
bought  the  periodicals  for  the  sake  of  the  reading  pages  to 
extend  their  curiosity  and  interest  to  the  advertisements. 

Free  Advertising  and  its  Value. — There  has  always  been  a 
tendency  to  regard  the  reading  columns  of  a  periodical  as 
more  valuable  than  the  advertising  columns.  People  who  wish 
to  influence  public  opinion  are  continually  attempting  to  secure 
space  in  the  news  or  editorial  columns  of  newspapers  and  in 
special  articles  in  magazines  in  order  to  present  their  proposi- 
tion under  the  guise  of  news  or  information.  Hundreds  of 
thousands  of  dollars  have  been  spent  in  this  way.  Where  such 
space  could  not  be  secured,  advertising  space  has  sometimes 
been  bought  upon  the  basis  of  its  being  printed  in  the  same 
type,  the  same  style,  and  the  same  general  appearance  as  the 
reading  pages. 

This  does  not  demonstrate  the  value  of  such  free  adver- 

300 


PERIODICAL   MEDIA  301 

tising  or  "publicity,"  as  it  is  called,  though  it  does  indirectly 
indicate  the  value  of  advertising  in  general.  Free  publicity, 
in  order  to  justify  its  appearance  in  the  reading  pages  of  any 
publication  worth  considering,  must  be  so  general  in  character 
that  it  can  be  tied  to  the  particular  proposition  only  with  dif- 
ficulty. Editors  are  now  on  the  lookout  for  free  publicity 
matter,  especially  since  the  advertising  revenue  has  become  a 
factor  of  so  much  importance  in  the  maintenance  of  the  pe- 
riodical. In  consequence,  most  publicity  stories  and  articles 
can  have  but  little  effect  upon  the  sales  of  a  product  because  of 
the  difficulty  of  introducing  the  name  or  any  other  feature 
which  will  cause  it  to  be  retained  in  the  memory.  Moreover, 
they  cannot  have  the  identifying  repetition  which  is  one  of  the 
most  important  items  in  the  value  of  display  advertising. 

The  Newspaper. — As  the  reading  habits  of  the  public  have 
grown  and  interests  have  branched  out  along  with  the  increas- 
ing complexity  of  human  life,  the  number  of  periodicals  has 
greatly  increased.  They  have  also  naturally  divided  them- 
selves into  certain  general  groups  going  to  certain  more  or 
less  well-defined  audiences  composed  of  various  types  and 
classes  of  people,  of  more  or  less  definite  value  to  certain  por- 
tions of  the  business  world. 

The  newspaper  has  consistently  maintained  a  place  at  the 
head  of  the  list  in  the  amount  expended  by  firms  for  adver- 
tising purposes.  It  has  a  very  distinct  field  in  which  it  is  pre- 
eminently important  because  of  its  reason  for  existence  and 
universality  of  use.  The  instinct  for  news  is  strong  in  all 
types  of  people,  under  all  conditions  of  civilization.  The 
newspaper  would  be  the  last  reading  matter  to  be  given  up  by 
the  majority  of  people  if  the  opportunity  and  necessity  for 
such  a  choice  were  to  be  up  for  their  decision.  It  is  practically 
a  vital  necessity  in  the  life  of  any  people  who  are  sufficiently 
educated  to  be  able  to  read. 


302  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

Any  particular  newspaper  in  a  field  has  a  tendency  to 
gather  its  clientele  largely  from  one  or  another  of  certain  well- 
defined  types  of  people.  These  types  are  not  distinguished  so 
much  by  their  degree  of  wealth,  social  standing,  or  occupation 
as  by  their  temperament  and  interests.  The  newspaper  which 
seeks  in  its  selection  and  presentation  of  news  to  play  up  the 
sensational,  the  unusual,  the  startling,  will  naturally  draw  to 
itself  those  people  with  whom  the  play  of  emotions  is  of  para- 
mount interest.  Those  papers  which  endeavor  to  gather  accu- 
rately the  news  affecting  the  world  at  large  and  to  present 
it  without  sensationalism  will  naturally  appeal  to  people 
who  are  to  some  extent  interested  in  news  which  has  no  im- 
mediate effect  upon  their  living  or  their  pleasures.  The  adver- 
tiser will  therefore  do  well  to  keep  in  mind  the  peculiar  char- 
acteristics of  the  newspapers  at  his  disposal  in  any  field  when 
he  makes  his  selection  and  also  when  he  determines  the  method 
of  appeal  to  use  in  his  copy  and  display. 

The  newspaper,  because  of  its  position  and  the  character 
of  its  reading  pages,  is  of  necessity  a  concentrating  force  which 
can  be  used  to  produce  more  rapid,  more  thorough,  and  more 
effective  local  stimulation  of  sales.  It  displays  its  greatest 
strength  with  commodities  which  are  of  general  interest  to 
people  and  in  more  or  less  general  use.  Where  the  commodi- 
ties are  of  interest  and  in  use  only  by  a  small  and  limited  class, 
the  power  of  the  newspaper  is  to  a  large  extent  wasted  because 
so  small  a  percentage  of  its  readers  are  in  a  position  to  respond 
to  the  appeal. 

The  General  Magazine. — Under  the  heading  "general  ma- 
gazines'* are  included  all  those  monthly  and  weekly  publica- 
tions which  have  for  their  object  the  entertainment,  the  infor- 
mation, and  the  relaxation  of  the  public,  without  special  ref- 
erence to  any  small  or  limited  group.  They  may  cover  any 
portion  of  the  field  of  human  activities  and  contain  almost  any 


PERIODICAL   MEDIA  303 

sort  of  material  from  poetry  and  fiction  to  critical  analyses 
and  summaries  or  special  articles  on  different  phases  of  poli- 
tical or  industrial  activity.  The  interests  to  which  they  cater 
are  general,  and  the  audience,  as  a  rule,  includes  many  types 
and  classes  of  readers.  As  a  rule,  they  do  have  leanings  in  the 
direction  of  some  one  type  of  interests,  either  because  of  tradi- 
tion or  the  personality  of  the  editor  or  some  other  influence. 
They  do  not,  however,  exclude  the  other  interests. 

The  value  of  the  magazine  from  an  advertising  standpoint 
is  complementary  to  that  of  the  newspaper;  it  performs  en- 
tirely different  functions  and  has  different  standards  of  value. 
The  magazine  is  extensive  territorially,  and  intensive  because 
of  its  segregation  from  a  circulation  standpoint;  whereas  the 
newspaper  is  intensive  from  a  territorial  standpoint  and  ex- 
tensive from  a  circulation  standpoint. 

The  magazine  selects  from  the  great  mass  of  people  in 
the  country  or  the  world  as  a  whole  those  individuals  who 
are  sufficiently  concerned  in  the  interests  it  presents  to  be  anx- 
ious to  read  about  them  and  to  pay  for  that  reading.  It  picks 
out  those  whose  interests  are  wide  enough  and  whose  educa- 
tion is  extended  enough  to  require  reading  matter  over  and 
above  that  which  can  be  secured  from  the  local  media.  The 
magazine,  therefore,  must  operate  through  a  larger  territory 
than  the  newspaper,  because  it  will  appeal  to  a  smaller  per- 
centage and  a  more  specialized  class  of  population. 

Since  the  general  magazine  covers  a  wide  territory,  it  ac- 
quires by  this  means  a  prestige  which  is  not  accorded  to  the 
local  media  largely  concerned  with  and  distributed  through  a 
small  territory.  This  same  prestige  and  importance  naturally 
apply  in  a  measure  to  the  advertising  it  carries.  Further- 
more, it  provides  a  natural  selection  of  the  readers  who  have 
a  good  many  advertising  requirements  and  eliminates  some  of 
the  waste  that  might  otherwise  be  incurred. 

As  a  final  advantage,  it  is  a  leisure  time  publication  and 


304  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

receives,  therefore,  more  attention  and  probably  more  careful 
reading  than  a  local  medium.  It  has  a  tendency  to  exert  a 
more  powerful  influence  upon  the  habits  of  mind  of  those  who 
are  a  part  of  its  regular  audience.  As  its  very  name  implies, 
the  general  magazine  is  valuable  for  general  advertising  where 
a  broad  rather  than  an  intensive  influence  is  to  be  secured. 

Women's  Publications. — The  economic  importance  of  the 
women  of  the  household,  due  to  the  percentage  of  material 
which  goes  into  the  household  and  the  additional  percentage 
purchased  through  the  influence  of  women,  is  so  great  that  all 
classes  of  media  pay  much  attention  to  their  requirements  and 
certain  media  are  devoted  entirely  to  their  needs. 

So  much  of  the  life  of  the  women  of  the  household  is 
represented  by  considerations  fully  as  important  from  the 
standpoint  of  their  economic  requirements  as  the  business  con- 
siderations of  the  men,  that  information  upon  such  points  is 
not  only  valuable  but  almost  necessary.  Furthermore,  the 
styles  in  women's  clothing  change  rapidly  from  season  to 
season.  The  necessity  of  keeping  up  with  the  changes  in  social 
requirements  and  the  gradually  extending  horizon  of  women's 
activities  make  the  women's  publication  as  nearly  a  necessity 
as  anything  ^can  be  which  does  not  cater  to  the  news  instinct. 

These  special  functions  of  women's  publications  entitle 
them  to  advertising  consideration  which  cannot  be  given  to 
the  general  media.  The  relation  between  the  subscriber  and 
the  magazine  is  more  intimate,  the  interest  in  the  editorial 
policy  is  keener,  and  the  relation  between  the  editorial  and  the 
advertising  pages  is  closer  than  is  usually  the  case  with  general 
media.  To  advertise  in  the  magazine  which  contains  a  num- 
ber of  recipes,  some  of  the  material  which  should  enter  those 
recipes  approaches  the  maximum  of  suggestion.  The  adver- 
tising of  labor-saving  devices  for  the  household  in  the  mag- 
azine where  discussions  are  continually  present  as  to  the  pos- 


PERIODICAL   MEDIA 


305 


sibility  of  reducing  household  drudgery  comes  very  close  to  a 
100  per  cent  efficiency  in  the  use  of  periodical  media. 

Women's  publications,  like  all  other  groups,  differ  much  in 
their  efficiency.  The  editorial  requirements  are  unusually 
severe.  The  styles  suggested  must  be  authoritative  and  must 
be  delivered  to  the  subscriber  at  the  time  they  are  news.  The 
recipes,  the  articles  on  household  matters,  the  education  of  the 
young,  etc.,  must  show  authority  of  the  highest  type  in  order 
to  give  the  advertising  value  which  is  necessary  to  fulfil  pro- 
perly the  important  functions  represented  by  the  media. 

Farm  Journals. — Farm  journals  include  an  important 
group  which  is  devoted  to  the  information  of  the  farmer  and 
the  farmer's  wife  in  respect  to  their  work  and  to  the  enter- 
tainment of  the  family.  At  one  time  such  journals  also  ful- 
filled the  purposes  of  a  newspaper.  Most  of  them  are  still  lim- 
ited territorially  to  certain  states  or  sections  of  the  country 
which  have  agricultural  interests  in  common. 

Trade  Journals. — Trade  journals  are  devoted  to  the  dis- 
semination of  news  and  the  consideration  of  questions  relating 
to  the  distribution  of  products  of  a  certain  nature  or  products 
handled  through  a  certain  line  of  distributors.  They  differ 
much  in  scope,  but  are  all  alike  in  that  they  are  not  distributed 
to  the  consumers  of  a  product  but  to  those  who  buy  the  product 
to  resell. 

The  value  of  a  trade  journal  from  an  advertising  stand- 
point can  be  almost  exactly  determined  by  an  investigation  of 
its  editorial  work  from  the  standpoint  of  authority,  progres- 
siveness,  and  accuracy.  Judged  upon  this  basis,  many  of  them 
are  of  little  value.  The  best  of  them,  however,  have  capable 
editorial  staffs  and  well-equipped  stations  for  gathering  news. 
They  are  responsible  to  a  large  extent  for  the  progress  made 
in  their  respective  fields.  Such  trade  journals  are  naturally  of 


306  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF   ADVERTISING 

great  advertising  value  because  they  have  automatically 
selected  the  audience  in  their  particular  fields  so  that  they 
represent  the  best  combined  intelligence  and  the  most  influen- 
tial men  connected  with  the  business. 

Technical  Journals. — The  functions  of  the  technical  jour- 
nals are  somewhat  different  from  the  functions  of  the  trade 
journals  in  that  the  technical  journal  reaches  the  consumer  in 
a  particular  industry  or  line  of  human  endeavor  and  ap- 
proaches him  by  reason  of  the  information  it  gives  in  the  tech- 
nique of  its  operations. 

The  technical  journal,  like  the  trade  journal,  automatically 
segregates  the  audience  and  confines  it  within  certain  limits, 
either  within  a  certain  industry  or  within  a  specified  occupa- 
tion. Automotive  Industries,  Horseless  Age,  and  other  papers 
are  examples  relating  to  the  automobile  industry.  Power,  The 
Practical  Engineer,  American  Machinist,  and  so  forth,  are 
examples  of  technical  papers  devoted  to  a  specified  occupation 
which  may  enter  into  many  industries  and  enter  many  differ- 
ent problems.  A  few  publications,  like  Iron  Age,  have  the 
functions  both  of  the  trade  journals  and  of  the  technical 
journal. 

The  chief  value  of  the  technical  journal,  like  that  of  the 
trade  journal,  can  be  determined  largely  by  examination  of  its 
editorial  and  business  policies  and  its  influence  in  the  particu- 
lar field  which  it  attempts  to  serve.  As  related  in  a  previous 
chapter,  many  of  the  better  publications  in  the  field  maintain 
departments  equipped  to  serve  the  advertiser  by  preparing  ad- 
vertisements for  him  which  shall  be  especially  adapted  to  the 
audience  the  publication  reaches. 

Class  Periodicals. —  The  general  subdivision  of  interests  of 
human  life  is  not  confined  to  the  operation  of  gaining  a  liveli- 
hood; it  extends  also  to  the  pleasures  and  relaxations  of 


PERIODICAL   MEDIA  307 

human  beings.  Practically  every  form  of  relaxation  and 
amusement  has  a  periodical  devoted  to  its  special  interests. 
Such  periodicals  are  termed  class  periodicals.  They  include 
theatrical,  moving  pictures,  sporting,  and  a  great  variety  of 
others.  In  some  instances  they  become  very  important  from 
the  advertiser's  standpoint  as  they  may  provide  a  direct  audi- 
ence especially  interested  in  his  product. 

Contracts.— Inasmuch  as  the  publisher  of  the  earlier  pe- 
riodicals did  not  desire  to  take  advertising  but  simply  yielded 
to  the  request  of  the  merchant,  the  space  method  of  buying 
advertising  was  the  natural  outcome.  As  a  consequence,  the 
cost  of  advertising  in  periodical  media  has  always  been  based 
upon  the  amount  of  space,  although  its  value  was  based  upon 
a  service  which  has  to  do  with  a  great  deal  more  than  space  or 
the  number  of  readers.  Competition  between  advertisers  and 
publishers  has  lately  resulted  in  a  demand  for  much  more  ex- 
act and  detailed  analysis  of  values  than  was  possible  or  even 
considered  in  the  early  days. 

The  question  of  payment,  likewise,  has  only  recently  ap- 
proached anything  resembling  standardization.  For  a  long 
period,  payments  for  advertising  were  analogous  to  other 
business  transactions  of  those  clays,  a  matter  of  individual 
compromise  between  the  individual  publisher  and  advertiser. 
It  was  the  natural  thing  to  find  all  kinds  of  rates  in  the  same 
publication. 

The  rate  evil  exists  to  some  extent  today,  especially  among 
newspapers.  Although  it  is  usual  to  have  specified  rates,  as 
expressed  on  the  rate  card,  it  does  not  follow  that  a  certain 
amount  of  space  in  a  certain  publication  always  costs  the 
same.  Quantity  discount  is  usual,  and  an  extra  discount  due 
to  the  importance  of  the  advertiser  is  not  infrequent.  The 
foreign  rate,  that  is,  the  rate  for  outside  advertising  in  news- 
papers, has  always  been  different  from  the  domestic  rate,  that 


3o8  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF   ADVERTISING 

is,  the  rate  for  local  concerns.  Frequently  there  is  also  a  pa- 
tent medicine  rate,  a  department  store  rate,  sometimes  educa- 
tional and  church  rates,  and  there  are,  of  course,  classified 
rates,  all  of  which  may  be  subdivided  according  to  the  require- 
ments of  the  particular  contract  in  view.  It  is  encouraging  to 
note,  however,  that  there  has  been  a  gradual  tendency  toward 
the  standardization  of  rates. 

The  rate  which  is  to  be  paid  to  a  publication  per  unit  (the 
agate  line  is  usually  the  unit  of  measure)  is  supposed  to  be 
based  on  the  number  of  copies  circulated  and  paid  for  by  the 
general  public.  This  has  to  be  a  general  average,  of  course, 
because  every  publication  has  a  tendency  to  vary  in  its  circu- 
lation between  one  issue  and  the  next.  Oftentimes  it  has 
proved  that  the  circulation  figure  stated  is  very  far  in  excess 
of  the  average  circulation  of  the  periodical. 

Circulation  Analysis. — These  evils  have  resulted  in  recent 
years  in  a  general  demand  for  more  exact  information.  First, 
the  publisher  was  required  to  give  sworn  statements  of  circu- 
lation showing  the  number  of  copies  actuallv  paid  for.  He 
was  then  required  to  show  how  much  of  his  circulation  was 
obtained  through  premium  offers  or  other  similar  means. 
These  evidences  of  more  exacting  scrutiny  on  the  part  of  the 
advertiser  have  tended  to  reduce  greatly  the  extent  of  circula- 
tion padding. 

There  has  also  been  a  closer  study  of  the  factors  which 
help  to  determine  the  value  of  circulation  for  the  particular 
advertiser's  purposes.  In  many  instances  he  needed  to  know 
the  relative  proportion  of  circulation  going  to  his  particular 
field,  and  conversely,  the  percentage  of  waste.  This  has  led 
to  territorial  analysis  of  a  circulation  to  find  what  percentage 
went  to  different  states,  large  cities,  small  cities  and  the  coun- 
try, and  to  other  units  of  territory  in  which  tne  advertiser  was 
interested. 


PERIODICAL   MEDIA  309 

A  further  development  is  the  endeavor  of  the  advertiser  to 
make  his  buying  of  circulation  agree  as  closely  as  possible  with 
the  people  who  represent  his  prospective  customers.  To  ob- 
tain this,  he  has  begun  to  request  an  analysis  by  occupation, 
analysis  by  position,  and  analysis  by  buying  power.  Such 
analyses,  of  course,  are  ordinarily  confined  to  the  general  ma- 
gazines and  the  technical,  class,  and  trade  journals.  The  uni- 
versality of  the  newspaper  clientele  makes  such  an  analysis 
practically  impossible,  and  moreover,  the  functions  of  the 
newspaper  are  such  that  an  analysis  of  this  kind  is  of  com- 
paratively little  importance  in  its  case. 

Editorial  Policy  and  Circulation. — The  value  of  studying 
the  editorial  policy  in  order  to  discover  the  character  and 
value  of  the  audience  has  always  been  thoroughly  recognized, 
although  the  factors  which  have  contributed  to  that  influence 
have  not  been  so  thoroughly  understood.  It  is  evident  that 
the  interest  that  the  magazine  serves  is  of  fundamental  im- 
portance in  determining  the  permanency  of  the  bond  of  sym- 
pathy which  lies  between  the  publication  and  its  readers. 
Moreover,  the  character  and  style  of  the  editorial  matter  and 
the  actual  phraseology  which  is  used  throughout  the  reading 
pages  influence  the  character  of  the  audience  so  deeply  that 
they  form  today  a  most  reliable  basis  of  circulation  analysis. 
By  careful  study  of  these  elements  the  advertising  man  may 
often  determine  the  relative  value  for  his  purpose  of  the  dif- 
ferent audiences  provided  by  the  publications  in  any  field. 

Censorship. — Inasmuch  as  the  strength  of  advertising  lies 
largely  in  the  confidence  that  will  attach  to  the  announcement 
made  by  any  particular  firm,  it  was  logical  that  the  men  who 
were  engaged  in  advertising  commodities  that  had  a  value 
commensurate  with  their  advertised  claims  should  take  a  spe- 
cial interest  in  the  character  of  the  advertising  allowed  on  the 


3io 


THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 


pages  of  the  various  periodical  media  they  proposed  to  use. 
It  was  obvious  theoretically,  and  it  was  unfortunately  demon- 
strated practically,  that  every  victim  of  an  unscrupulous  adver- 
tiser meant  a  person  who  would  have  difficulty  in  believing  all 
advertising  thereafter.  For  that  reason,  the  honest  adverti- 
sers began  to  base  their  choice  of  publications,  in  part  at  least, 
upon  the  character  of  other  advertising  carried  by  a  medium. 
They  rightly  considered  that  every  objectionable  advertise- 
ment diminished  by  some  degree  the  efficiency  of  all  advertise- 
ments appearing  in  its  neighborhood. 

This  matter  has  become  of  such  importance  to  the  careful 
publisher,  the  square-dealing  advertiser,  and  the  intelligent 
agency,  that  many  of  the  most  reputable  periodicals  have 
adopted  a  rigid  censorship  of  their  advertising  pages  so  as  to 
exclude  the  unscrupulous  and  false  methods  which  have  a  ten- 
dency to  lessen  the  advertising  value  of  their  space.  This 
policy  has  been  carried  out  particularly  by  the  magazines,  the 
women's  publications,  and  the  farm  journals,  and  is  one  of  the 
reasons  for  their  prestige  and  their  tremendous  advertising 
value.  Lack  of  this  policy,  at  least  in  any  concerted  way,  is 
similarly  responsible  for  the  failure  of  the  newspaper  to  meas- 
ure up  to  its  full  possibilities  as  an  advertising  medium.  There 
is  even  in  this  field,  however,  a  tendency  toward  censorship,  as 
well  as  toward  standardization  of  rates,  which,  if  carried  to 
its  conclusion,  will  undoubtedly  result  in  a  tremendous 
strengthening  of  the  natural  advantages  of  this  class  of  media. 


CHAPTER  XXX 

OUTDOOR  AND  OTHER  FORMS  OF  ADVERTISING 

How  Outdoor  Advertising  Developed. — The  earliest 
method  of  advertising  was  the  sign.  Excavations  made  in 
various  parts  of  the  world  bringing  to  light  the  conditions  of 
life  in  the  earlier  civilizations,  have  shown  that  it  has  been 
customary  in  all  ages,  wherever  any  degree  of  civilization  has 
been  attained,  to  designate  by  a  symbol  either  the  occupations 
or  the  products  made  in  a  certain  place  or  by  a  certain 
individual. 

Up  to  the  time  of  the  discovery  of  cheap  paper  and  also 
until  the  general  increase  in  the  art  of  printing,  there  was 
little  use  in  attempting  to  extend  the  sign  on  account  of  the 
fact  that  so  small  a  percentage  of  the  population  could  read 
or  write.  As  education  spread  and  more  of  the  population  be- 
came versed  in  reading  and  writing,  the  use  of  signs  to  an- 
nounce all  kinds  of  sales,  all  kinds  of  events,  to  give  notice  of 
legal  action,  governmental  proceedings,  etc.,  extended  very 
rapidly,  until  today  it  is  one  of  the  most  important  methods  of 
advertising. 

Influence  of  Signs. —  The  sign  has  been  associated  for 
years  and  even  centuries  with  two  definite  functions  which 
have  determined  its  value  to  a  large  extent  in  the  past  and 
which  influence  its  present  value. 

The  sign  has  always  shown  either  where  a  thing  could  be 
secured  or  at  what  time  it  must  be  secured,  or  both.  It  has, 
therefore,  been  conspicuous  all  through  its  history  because  of 
its  determination  of  the  place  and  its  suggestion  as  to  time. 
Even  now  a  large  part  of  the  outdoor  advertising  in  any  city 

311 


312 


313 


314  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF   ADVERTISING 

is  devoted  to  the  dissemination  of  news  in  regard  to  matters 
which  must  be  taken  advantage  of  within  a  certain  time  and 
place,  in  order  to  be  secured  at  all. 

While  the  use  of  the  poster  is  no  longer  limited  to  such 
matters,  nevertheless  this  association  of  ideas  is  still  active  to 
a  sufficient  extent  to  determine  the  value  of  the  poster  as  an 
advertising  medium.  By  the  very  conditions  of  its  use,  it  is 
manifestly  out  of  the  question  as  an  educational  proposition. 
The  necessity  for  telling  the  story  at  a  glance  so  that  literally 
"he  who  runs  may  read"  precludes  any  of  the  argument  or 
reasoning  which  forms  the  basis  of  educational  endeavor. 

The  sign  must  arrest  attention  by  the  simplicity  and  broad- 
ness of  its  design  and  character,  must  draw  attention  to  the 
products  and  must  suggest  the  necessity  for  immediate  action. 
It  has  been  so  constantly  used  to  reiterate  the  fact  that  some- 
thing will  be  done  at  a  certain  time  and  place,  that  a  subcon- 
scious spur  to  action  is  almost  imperative.  These  functions 
of  outdoor  advertising  make  it  of  great  importance  for  inten- 
sive stimulation  of  the  sale  of  products  of  general  consump- 
tion. It  is,  of  course,  impossible  for  this  method  of  adver- 
tising to  change  a  buying  habit  until  some  educative  effort  has 
brought  about  a  general  knowledge  of  the  product.  It  is,  in 
fact,  in  respect  to  advertising  akin  to  the  salesman's  closing 
talk,  calculated  to  bring  to  a  head  the  work  which  has  been 
progressing  favorably  but  without  action  theretofore.  This 
does  not  mean  that  action  cannot  be  secured  by  the  other 
media  of  advertising.  It  does  mean,  however,  that  the  whole 
history  and  development  of  the  sign  and  of  outdoor  advertis- 
ing has  had  a  tendency  to  associate  it  with  the  necessity  for 
action  in  such  a  way  that  it  presents  a  logical  medium  for  the 
final  development  of  intensive  stimulation. 

Values. — In  the  great  development  in  the  outdoor  advertis- 
ing field,  the  business  has  divided  itself  into  four  distinct 


OUTDOOR  AND   OTHER  ADVERTISING  315 

branches,  each  branch  being  subject  to  different  conditions  and 
covered  by  different  practical  experiences.  They  are  painted 
bulletins,  posters,  electric  signs,  and  enameled  or  lithographed 
signs. 

Painted  bulletins  are  made  of  boards,  metal- faced  as  a 
rule,  placed  alongside  the  streets  or  roads,  along  the  tracks  of 
railroads,  on  the  roofs  of  buildings,  and  in  other  convenient 
and  desirable  locations.  They  range  from  12  to  48  feet  long, 
generally,  though  special  boards  are  built  as  long  as  75  feet  for 
lease,  while  they  are  built  in  all  sizes  for  the  individual  owner- 
ship of  a  single  advertiser.  The  location  for  most  of  these 
signs  is  leased  by  companies  who  undertake  to  erect  the 
boards,  paint  them  with  the  advertiser's  design,  maintain 
them,  and  keep  them  in  proper  condition.  For  most  of  the 
boards  alongside  railroads  and  roads  the  charge  is  made  per 
square  foot  of  space,  but  in  cities,  for  special  locations  and 
other  points  of  particular  advantage,  a  special  charge  is  made 
for  the  preferred  positions. 

On  account  of  the  conditions  required  by  the  character  of 
the  signs,  it  is  usual  to  make  contracts  for  a  period  of  a  year 
or  more.  It  is  not  possible,  with  this  method  of  advertising — 
without  special  arrangements — to  secure  a  change  of  copy 
more  frequently  than  yearly,  or  at  each  painting,  although 
special  arrangements  have  been  made  at  times  for  this  pur- 
pose. In  many  places  the  signs  have  been  arranged  in  the 
best  form  by  building  panels,  concealing  supports,  and  effect- 
ing decorative  framework  to  eliminate  the  objections  which 
have  been  advanced  at  times  against  the  unsightly  appearance 
of  advertising  boards  alongside  city  streets. 

In  the  buying  of  painted  bulletin  advertising,  it  is  possible 
to  buy  either  by  particular  location  or  by  asking  for  a  showing 
in  particular  localities — or  along  certain  railroads  or  high- 
ways. Inasmuch  as  most  of  this  advertising  grew  up  through 
local  requirements,  it  became  necessary  for  the  local  concerns 


316  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

to  form  an  association  through  which  it  is  possible  for  the 
larger  advertiser  to  use  this  form  of  advertising  all  through 
the  country,  without  being  obliged  to  deal  with  a  large  number 
of  local  establishments,  and  in  order  to  secure  the  co-ordina- 
tion which  should  be  secured  in  such  a  campaign.  The  value 
of  this  form  of  advertising  varies  very  considerably  with  the 
character  of  the  products  to  be  advertised.  It  is  not  possible 
to  determine  its  value  per  se,  without  an  examination  of  mer- 
chandising, and  the  way  in  which  the  product  is  used. 

The  function  of  the  painted  bulletin  is  to  act  as  a  constant 
reminder,  easily  read  and  easily  seen,  of  the  fact  that  a  product 
is  on  the  market,  together  with  some  suggestion  of  its  quality, 
induced  by  the  character  of  the  design  and  the  wording.  From 
the  fact  that  copy  can  be  changed  very  infrequently,  it  is  of 
course  not  reasonable  to  expect  this  form  of  advertising  to  be 
of  any  educational  value,  and  it  therefore  serves  its  purpose 
when  it  is  used  for  general  publicity,  and  for  identification 
with  other  public  efforts. 

In  connection  with  some  necessities  for  which  painted  bul- 
letins are  used,  the  value  of  the  location  is  greater  than  that  of 
the  number  of  boards.  In  other  cases  the  value  of  the  num- 
ber of  boards  may  be  greater  than  that  of  single  locations. 
For  instance,  in  the  automobile  business,  in  covering  touring 
roads  in  various  sections  of  the  country,  boards  which  are 
head  on  to  the  road  and  are  in  such  a  position  that  they  are 
directly  in  the  field  of  vision  of  the  driver,  possess  a  great  ad- 
vantage in  advertising  value.  Such  boards  are  therefore  to  be 
sought  in  cases  of  this  kind,  rather  than  merely  a  number  of 
boards  on  a  particular  road. 

The  question  of  design  is  very  important  in  connection 
with  painted  bulletins.  Because  of  the  difficulties  in  connec- 
tion with  hand-painting,  the  design  should  be  as  simple  as  pos- 
sible, suitable  for  quick  identification  at  a  considerable  dis- 
tance, without  any  small  wording,  and  developed  along  such 


OUTDOOR  AND  OTHER  ADVERTISING  317 

broad  lines  both  as  to  style  and  number  of  colors  that  the  ef- 
fect of  the  design  and  wording  will  impress  itself  on  the  mind 
with  little  or  no  effort.  Painted  bulletins  are,  of  course,  valu- 
able in  proportion  as  the  product  can  be  used  by  the  general 
public  who  pass  along  the  highways  or  the  railroads.  Their 
value  decreases  according  as  the  number  of  people  who  could 
use  the  product  decreases  in  proportion  to  total  population. 

In  the  buying  of  outdoor  advertising,  however,  so  many 
factors  enter  into  the  question  of  price,  and  so  many  items 
influence  the  question  of  value  that  it  is  impossible  to  buy 
such  advertising  with  absolutely  accurate  knowledge  of  what 
is  being  bought.  In  the  first  place,  the  number  of  people  who 
can  see  the  sign  is  a  matter  of  conjecture,  except  in  a  few  spe- 
cial cases  where  they  are  so  placed  as  to  govern  thoroughfares, 
in  which  event  the  number  can  be  averaged. 

In  the  second  place,  the  surroundings  of  the  sign,  whether 
it  is  in  the  middle  of  other  signs,  whether  it  is  at  a  height  or 
close  to  the  ground,  whether  it  is  in  a  narrow  or  wide  thor- 
oughfare, the  speed  of  the  traffic  past  it,  all  have  a  bearing 
upon  the  advertising  value  which  is  none  the  less  important 
because  it  has  not  been  thoroughly  recognized.  It  has  been 
customary  in  the  use  of  outdoor  advertising,  to  accomplish  by 
volume  rather  than  by  selection.  The  competition  for  signs, 
the  necessity  for  leasing  ground  or  space  for  them,  and  the 
general  tendency  for  restrictions  to  be  imposed  upon  them  in 
most  communities,  have  somewhat  limited  the  number  which 
can  be  used;  consequently  it  is  becoming  more  necessary  to 
analyze  the  factors  which  determine  the  relative  value  of  loca- 
tions. 

Bill-Posters'  Association. — So  long  as  the  use  of  posters 
was  to  be  secured  only  through  local  individuals  who  con- 
trolled the  general  spaces  devoted  to  such  purposes,  it  was  a 
very  difficult  matter  properly  to  arrange  for  advertising  by 


3T8 


319 


320  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

this  medium  in  many  localities.  As  the  possibilities  of  national 
advertising  or  general  advertising  grew  and  the  use  of  posters 
in  this  connection  became  of  more  importance,  the  difficulty 
of  dealing  with  several  thousand  different  people  in  the  han- 
dling of  such  poster  campaigns  became  apparent.  The  con- 
sideration of  this  matter  finally  led  to  the  gathering  together 
of  all  the  local  bill-posting  firms  into  an  association  of  bill- 
posters, with  agreements  covering  the  general  use  of  posters 
in  such  a  way  that  a  general  advertiser  can  now  make  arrange- 
ments with  one  representative  of  the  bill-posters'  association 
to  handle  all  the  posting  which  he  expects  to  do  over  the  en- 
tire country.  Since  this  association  was  formed,  the  field  has 
been  standardized  to  a  great  extent,  and  it  is  possible  to  get 
showings  in  the  different  localities  which  more  nearly  repre- 
sent a  standard  campaign. 

Of  late  years  in  this  country  an  increasing  agitation  has 
been  working  against  the  unrestricted  or  practically  unre- 
stricted use  of  bill-boards,  on  account  of  disfigurements  of  the 
landscape,  and  their  alleged  nuisance  and  sometimes  damage  in 
cities.  From  time  to  time  ordinances  have  been  introduced 
in  various  civic  bodies  designed  to  regulate  this  part  of  adver- 
tising and  there  is  little  doubt  that  at  some  time  or  other  the 
use  of  bill-boards  or  outdoor  signs  will  be  subject  to  strict 
regulation  as  to  size  and  location. 

In  some  of  the  European  cities  such  regulations  are  al- 
ready effective,  so  that  posters  are  of  uniform  size,  practically 
the  size  of  a  one-sheet  poster,  and  the  spaces  reserved  for  them 
are  comparatively  few  and  carefully  designated.  These  regu- 
lations have  had  one  advantageous  effect  in  requiring  the  pos- 
ter advertiser  to  accomplish  his  purpose  by  artistic  work  in- 
stead of  by  mere  size.  In  all  the  European  countries,  but  par- 
ticularly in  France  and  England,  the  poster  artist  is  an  artist 
of  established  reputation  who  has  made  a  study  of  poster  work 
just  as  another  artist  has  studied  mural  decoration  or  portrait 


OUTDOOR  AND  OTHER  ADVERTISING  321 

work.  As  a  consequence  the  European  posters  are  a  delight 
to  the  eye  and  as  interesting  from  an  artistic  standpoint  as 
they  are  apparently  effective  from  an  advertising  one. 

Posters. — This  term  applies  to  all  papers  used  for  pasting 
upon  boards,  wherever  and  in  whatsoever  size  they  may  be 
used.  It  has,  however,  become  generally  accepted  as  refer- 
ring to  the  twenty- four  sheet  posters  adopted  as  standard  by 
the  poster  advertising  interests  and  maintained  by  concerns 
of  this  kind  all  over  the  country.  Poster  locations  regularly 
built  and  maintained  by  bill-posting  companies  are  to  be  found 
in  all  cities  and  towns  of  any  importance,  and  are  so  arranged 
as  to  give  a  possibility  of  fairly  complete  general  appeal  to  the 
whole  country  or  any  section. 

Poster  advertising  is  much  more  flexible  than  any  other 
form  of  outdoor  advertising.  It  permits  of  a  monthly  change 
of  copy,  short  and  long  campaigns,  and  can  be  carried  out 
either  sectionally  or  nationally.  The  use  of  this  form  of 
advertising  has  developed  very  largely  in  the  past  ten  or  twelve 
years  and  the  understanding  of  its  functions  has  resulted  in 
a  development  of  its  art  as  well  as  its  general  improvement. 
The  old  circus-style  is  passing  and  the  new  simple,  attractive, 
flat-color  poster,  which  has  long  been  in  use  in  Europe,  is 
rapidly  replacing  it.  The  illustrations  shown  will  indicate  how 
far  we  have  traveled  from  the  old  circus  poster  and  the  hope 
for  future  artistic  development,  which  these  advances  signify. 

Illuminated  Bulletins  and  Posters — In  connection  with 
the  more  careful  erection  of  bill-boards  and  bulletins  giving 
the  panel  effects,  separation  of  the  advertising,  and  the  general 
decorative  designs,  advantage  has  been  taken  of  the  possibili- 
ties of  illumination  to  add  to  the  hours  of  daylight  several 
of  the  evening  hours  as  advertising  possibilities.  For  this 
purpose  in  many  of  the  cities  special  bulletin-boards  and  bill- 


322 


N 


L 


Painted  sign  illuminated  for  city  use 
323 


324  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF   ADVERTISING 

boards  have  been  erected  for  the  use  of  painted  signs  and 
poster  advertisers,  with  illumination  directed  upon  the  boards 
so  that  the  design  should  appear  as  readily  at  night  as  in  the 
daytime.  Inasmuch  as  the  people  of  the  cities  are  to  a  large 
extent  free  from  their  labors  during  the  evening,  the  value  of 
the  illuminated  poster  and  bulletin  is  much  greater  than  the 
value  of  advertising  of  the  same  kind  which  can  be  seen  only 
during  the  period  of  daylight. 

Electric  Signs. — Electric  signs  are  the  most  recent  devel- 
opment in  outdoor  advertising  and  by  all  odds  the  most  spec- 
tacular. Broadway,  New  York,  from  23rd  Street  to  59th 
Street  would  be  scarcely  as  well  lighted  as  the  principal  street 
of  many  a  much  smaller  city  were  it  not  for  the  large  number 
of  advertising  electric  signs.  The  electric  sign  at  first  merely 
spelled  out  in  electric  light  the  name  of  the  article  or  firm  that 
was  being  exploited.  Competition  for  attention,  however,  cre- 
ated the  necessity  for  motion  and  color  in  such  signs  until  some 
of  the  most  spectacular  are  exceedingly  complicated  in  design 
and  furnish  an  enormous  number  of  movements.  The  move- 
ments are,  of  course,  secured  by  succeeding  contacts  produced 
by  a  revolving  "flasher,"  as  it  is  termed,  so  that  different 
bulbs  or  sections  light  up  at  different  periods. 

There  are  a  great  many  other  purposes  for  which  outdoor 
advertising  is  used  besides  those  noted  in  the  previous  head- 
ings. These  purposes  are  not  organized  under  one  general 
system,  nor  is  it  possible  to  make  any  general  division  of  them. 
For  this  reason  they  are  usually  included  under  some  other 
heading,  such  as  "Manufacturer's  Aids  to  Dealers/'  "Window 
Display/'  and  similar  propositions.  They  are  merely  men- 
tioned in  this  connection  in  order  that  the  reader  may  note 
them  as  actually  a  part  of  the  outdoor  advertising  work. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

DEALERS'  AIDS,  DIRECT  MAIL,  AND  HOUSE 
ORGANS 

Scope  of  "Dealers'  Aids." — Besides  the  two  main  classes 
of  media  which  have  already  been  described:  namely,  peri- 
odicals and  outdoor  display,  there  are  several  other  classes 
which  deserve  more  than  passing  mention.  One  type  which 
includes  several  varieties  may  be  considered  under  the  general 
heading  of  "dealers'  aids."  The  chief  functions  of  this  type 
are  to  reinforce  and  make  more  effective  consumer  advertising 
in  the  standardized  media,  to  help  the  distributor  dispose  of 
the  goods  more  quickly  and  with  less  effort,  and  to  enlist  his 
more  active  sales  co-operation.  Among  the  varieties  of  deal- 
ers' aids  we  find  window  displays,  store-cards,  demonstrations, 
samples,  and  booklets  and  other  printed  matter. 

Not  all  material  furnished  as  a  dealer's  aid  deserves  this 
name.  The  fact  is  that  the  average  dealer  is  swamped  with 
material  which  he  is  unable  to  use.  A  good  proportion  of  it 
is  of  service  chiefly  to  the  manufacturer  and  only  remotely 
connected  with  the  dealer's  work ;  such  material  is  likely  to  be 
thrown  away  unused.  To  succeed  in  their  purpose,  dealer's 
aids  must  actually  render  service  to  the  dealer.  They  may  do 
this  by  increasing  the  value  of  the  store  itself  in  the  eyes  of 
the  customers,  by  simplifying  the  task  of  selling  the  particular 
article,  or  by  increasing  the  general  efficiency  of  the  dealer 
through  extending  his  information  in  regard  to  the  possibili- 
ties of  his  trade. 

Window  Displays. — As  a  dealer's  show-window  is  perhaps 
his  most  important  advertising  opportunity,  it  is  natural  that 

325 


326  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

window  displays  form  one  of  the  chief  varieties  of  dealer's 
aids.  The  larger  dealers  have  their  own  window  display  de- 
partments, often  with  experts  in  planning  and  suggesting  win- 
dows, but  on  the  other  hand,  thousands  of  dealers  in  all  retail 
lines  scattered  throughout  the  country  have  no  such  organiza- 
tion and  often  have  no  settled  policy  with  respect  to  the  use 
of  the  show-window.  Such  dealers  often  find  a  display 
planned  by  the  manufacturer  of  real  service  in  saving  their 
time  and  effort  and  also  in  producing  a  more  inviting  effect. 
The  manufacturer  can  produce  hundreds  of  window  displays 
at  a  time  and  by  securing  the  aid  of  experts  can  make  them 
far  better  than  anything  the  average  dealer  can  produce  him- 
self. 

The  only  trouble  is  that  the  dealer  can  use  only  one  win- 
dow display  at  a  time,  and  as  he  has  many  offered  to  him,  com- 
petition among  manufacturers  is  constantly  becoming  keener. 
Some  manufacturers  even  go  so  far  as  to  furnish  a  crew  to 
put  the  display  in  place.  The  present  indications  are  that  the 
future  will  see  a  tendency  in  the  direction  of  even  more  elab- 
orate and  expensive  displays,  with  a  consequent  burdening  of 
costs  upon  the  manufacturer  who  chooses  to  develop  this  kind 
of  advertising. 

Store-Cards. — The  custom  of  drawing  attention  to  particu- 
lar items  by  the  use  of  a  store-card  is  an  old  one.  In  fact,  the 
store-card  was  one  of  the  first  ways  by  which  the  manufac- 
turer began  to  impress  his  trade-mark  on  the  consumer.  This 
method  of  reinforcing  the  more  general  types  of  advertising 
has  likewise  resulted  in  keen  competition,  so  that  most  dealers 
suffer  from  an  oversupply  of  store-cards. 

A  solution  of  this  difficulty  that  many  manufacturers  have 
found  effective  is  to  prepare  a  store-card  which  not  only  draws 
attention  to  the  particular  product,  but  also  draws  attention 
to  the  character  of  the  service  of  the  store  or  acts  as  a  direc- 


327 


328  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

tion  to  the  customers.  Thus,  Coca-Cola  issues  store-cards  to 
the  druggists  who  have  soda  fountains  with  the  direction  "Get 
Your  Soda  Check  at  the  Cashier's  Desk,"  and  the  Coca-Cola 
advertising  directly  underneath.  Along  these  same  lines  many 
other  manufacturers  have  devised  suggestive  and  directive 
store-cards.  In  general,  it  may  be  said  that  store-cards  are 
valuable  to  the  manufacturer  and  are  appreciated  by  the  dealer 
in  just  the  proportion  in  which  they  do  perform  real  service 
to  the  store  in  addition  to  the  manufacturer's  own  advertising. 

Demonstrations  and  Samples — In  many  lines  of  merchan- 
dise, particularly  those  connected  with  the  household  or  with 
such  personal  matters  as  clothing,  demonstration  adds  great 
value  to  the  advertising  by  showing  the  actual  possibilities  of 
the  goods.  This  method  is  therefore  of  utmost  importance, 
particularly  in  connection  with  goods  of  general  consumption 
that  lend  themselves  readily  to  such  means  of  exploitation. 

The  demonstration  is  perhaps  of  greatest  value  in  con- 
nection with  products  of  established  character  in  which  some 
distinct  improvement  has  been  effected  or  in  products  whose 
qualities  -and  purposes  are  not  obvious  from  their  appearance. 
The  advantages  of  the  method  are  obvious.  Goods  actually 
in  use  are  attractive,  they  give  opportunities  for  comment,  and 
their  addition  to  the  buying  impulse  is  most  important.  It  is 
probable  that  the  demonstration  of  electric  cooking  utensils 
has  had  more  to  do  with  progress  in  selling  these  appliances 
than  any  other  single  feature  of  the  work  done  by  their  manu- 
facturers. 

Where  it  is  impossible  to  demonstrate  to  the  consumer  the 
service  which  will  be  rendered  by  a  product,  the  next  best  way 
to  convince  him  is  to  give  him  an  opportunity  to  use  the  prod- 
uct itself.  This  method,  of  course,  is  limited  to  manufac- 
turers of  goods  which  are  consumed  generally  and  which  can 
be  tested  in  small  quantities. 


DEALERS'  AIDS  329 

Samples  are  perhaps  of  greatest  value  when  they  are  con- 
nected in  some  way  with  a  demonstration  of  the  product.  A. 
gift  has  itself  some  advertising  influence,  as  has  been  pointed 
out  in  an  earlier  chapter,  but  the  value  is  greatest  when  the 
consumer  is  led  to  appreciate  the  gift  and  to  make  proper 
use  of  it. 

Booklets  and  Printed  Matter. — The  dealer  sends  out  a 
great  many  parcels,  letters,  and  bills.  He  is  willing  and  often 
anxious  to  distribute  with  them  sales  material  of  the  right 
kind,  where  this  can  be  done  without  increasing  the  postage. 
Many  manufacturers,  therefore,  supply  dealers  with  booklets 
containing  descriptions,  informations,  instructions,  and  the  like, 
with  particular  reference  to  their  own  products. 

The  efficiency  of  such  material  varies  widely.  Thousands 
of  pounds  of  such  printed  matter  are  thrown  away  unused 
every  year  in  any  store  of  considerable  size.  Much  of  this 
waste  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  material  is  not  properly  pre- 
pared and  therefore  not  usable.  The  general  defects  and  dif- 
ficulties may  be  listed  as  follows: 

1 .  That  much  of  it  talks  at  the  dealer  or  his  customer 

instead  of  to  him. 

2.  That  a  large  part  of  it  is  not  calculated  to  fit  in  with 

the  ideas  or  service  of  the  store. 

3 .  That  it  is  sent  many  times  in  such  odd  shapes  that  it 

cannot  readily  be  mailed. 

4.  That  it  frequently  contains  nothing  of  service  from 

a  store  standpoint  or  as  advertising  the  store  to 
the  customer. 

Where  these  difficulties  are  avoided  and  these  defects  re- 
moved, booklets  and  similar  matter  are  likely  to  be  found  an 
important  supplement  to  other  kinds  of  advertising.  In  this, 
as  in  all  other  matters  connected  with  dealer's  aids,  the  whole 


330 


THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 


point  is  that  the  manufacturer  must  not  view  the  dealer  sim- 
ply as  an  outlet  for  his  own  goods;  he  must  rather  consider 
him  as  a  business  man  who  has  his  own  interests,  which  natur- 
ally receive  his  first  thought  and  which  are  used  as  a  basis  for 
judging  the  value  of  the  help  the  manufacturer  may  choose  to 
give  him. 

Direct  Mail. — Practically  every  kind  of  direct  mail  adver- 
tising is  used  as  a  dealer's  aid.  Some  manufacturers  even  pre- 
pare sales  letters  for  the  individual  dealer,  which  he  can  send 
out  to  his  prospective  customers  and  thus  draw  trade  for  him- 
self and  incidentally  for  the  manufacturer  whose  product  he 
handles.  Direct  mail  advertising  is  used  for  many  other  pur- 
poses. Perhaps  its  greatest  use  is  by  those  who  sell  their 
products  not  through  dealers,  but  directly  to  the  consumer 
through  the  mail.  Another  great  use  is  to  supplement  the 
work  of  a  personal  sales  force  or  to  act  as  the  salesman's 
substitute  in  dealing  with  whatever  group  the  manufacturer 
wishes  to  reach. 

Many  kinds  of  material  are  covered  by  the  general  term 
"direct  mail  advertising"  from  the  modest  little  mailing  card 
to  the  sumptuous  booklet  and  the  bulky  catalogue.  Each 
class  has  its  own  functions  which  differ  considerably  from 
those  of  other  classes.  The  mailing  card  and  the  folder,  for 
example,  usually  contain  a  snappy,  vigorous  sales  appeal;  the 
broadside  announces  something  big  or  important;  the  cata- 
logue is  a  reference  book  for  the  customer  or  prospective  cus- 
tomer who  is  ready  to  make  his  selection. 

A  great  deal  of  this  material  is  more  closely  akin  to  per- 
sonal salesmanship  than  to  advertising.  The  sales  letter,  for 
instance,  is  distinctly  a  personal  communication.  The  use  of 
certain  mechanical  devices  makes  it  unnecessary  to  write  each 
communication  separately,  but  the  functions  of  the  letter  re- 
main personal;  the  point  under  discussion  is  treated  not  as  a 


DEALERS'  AIDS  331 

public  matter,  but  as  a  private  matter  between  the  writer  and 
reader.  The  personal  sales  letter,  therefore,  is  adapted  to 
the  reader  individually  and  it  relates  to  his  personal  and  indi- 
vidual problems.  If  it  cannot  do  this,  then  the  subject  mat- 
ter it  covers  might  better  have  been  presented  in  some  other 
form. 

It  is  generally  agreed  that  in  writing  a  sales  letter  it  is 
best  to  visualize  a  particular  customer  and  keep  him  in  mind 
throughout.  The  same  letter  may  then  be  sent  to  a  large 
group  of  others  whose  general  characteristics  are  much  the 
same  as  his.  This  personal  adaptation  is  impossible  in  ad- 
vertising generally,  though  something  approximating  it  may 
be  attempted  in  the  case  of  advertising  in  special  technical 
and  class  journals. 

Direct  advertising  in  printed  form  does  not  admit  of  this 
same  degree  of  intimacy.  It  does  enjoy  the  advantage,  how- 
ever, of  having  its  readers  picked  in  advance  by  some  definite 
principle,  so  that  it  can  retain  some  of  the  characteristics  of 
the  sales  letter.  In  addition,  it  may  reinforce  its  appeal  by  the 
use  of  color,  ornament,  type,  illustration,  and  texture.  The 
principles  given  in  the  chapters  on  copy  and  display  will  be 
found  adequate  for  dealing  with  almost  any  kind  of  direct 
mail  material,  provided  the  writer  also  keeps  in  mind  the  gen- 
eral principle  that  the  material  should  be  adapted  as  closely 
as  possible  to  the  class  of  readers  it  is  to  reach  and  the  purpose 
it  is  to  serve. 

House  Organs. — An  important  development  in  the  field  of 
direct  advertising  has  been  the  establishment  of  house  organs 
for  various  purposes.  These  enable  the  manufacturer  or  other 
advertiser  to  obtain  one  element  that  is  lacking  in  almost  all 
their  forms  of  media,  namely,  the  element  of  continuity. 

The  house  organ  provides  for  continuity  of  interest  with 
the  sales  force,  the  employees,  the  distributors,  or  the  con- 


332  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF   ADVERTISING 

sumers.  It  permits  a  discussion  of  matters  which  are  of  con- 
tinued interest  in  a  broader  way  than  they  can  be  discussed  in 
any  other  form  of  advertising.  Often  it  is  able  to  establish 
a  bond  between  the  publishers  and  readers  which  will  help  to 
insure  the  maintenance  of  friendly  relations. 

House  organs  vary  widely  in  function  and  editorially. 
Large  corporations,  especially  those  engaged  in  public  service, 
have  found  it  to  their  advantage  to  maintain  house  organs  in 
order  to  keep  forcibly  before  the  whole  organization  the  in- 
dustrial ideals,  policies,  and  purposes  of  the  organization  and 
the  continuity  of  interest  between  the  various  groups  of  of- 
fices which  compose  it.  Some  of  the  house  organs  of  this 
type,  especially  those  started  by  railroads,  have  grown  into 
magazines  of  considerable  size  and  of  intense  interest  to  thou- 
sands of  employees  and  their  families. 

In  other  concerns,  the  chief  need  is  for  a  means  of  com- 
munication with  the  members  of  the  sales  force,  who  are 
scattered  and  not  subject  to  a  great  deal  of  personal  contact 
with  those  in  the  home  office.  The  salesman  on  the  road  is 
generally  exposed  to  many  influences  that  tend  to  undermine 
his  enthusiasm  for  his  work  and  for  his  product.  He  has  to 
meet  every  day  new  problems  and  new  difficulties.  Some  of 
these  have  already  been  met  successfully  by  other  members 
of  the  sales  force  and  if  their  accumulated  experience  can  be 
communicated  to  him,  his  efficiency  is  greatly  increased.  There 
is  a  need  also  for  occasional  stimulation  of  his  ideas  and  for 
fresh  inspiration.  For  this  purpose  the  house  organ  for  sales- 
men, intelligently  edited  with  bright,  chatty  talk  about  sales 
problems,  illustrations  from  field  experience,  comments  upon 
successful  operations,  etc.,  has  been  found  invaluable.  While 
it  is  usually  published  under  the  direction  of  the  sales  man- 
ager, it  should  be  carefully  watched  by  the  advertising  man. 
Often  where  it  does  not  exist  the  conditions  merit  it  and  in 
such  instances  the  advertising  manager  has  an  interest  in  see- 


DEALERS'  AIDS  333 

ing  it  established  in  order  that  it  may  furnish  and  maintain 
proper  contact  between  the  advertising  and  sales  forces  so 
that  these  two  important  marketing  forces  may  work  more 
effectively  together. 

As  a  natural  extension  of  these  purposes  and  because  of 
the  direct  interest  that  exists  between  the  manufacturer  and 
the  distributor  who  sells  his  goods,  the  house  organ  is  often 
established  for  maintaining  contact  between  these  two  forces. 
In  this  case  the  character  of  the  house  organ  changes  some- 
what. It  is  no  longer  dealing  with  policies,  with  interior  con- 
ditions, and  with  those  things  which  are  of  internal  interest 
only.  Instead  it  contains  material  of  more  general  value,  such 
as  discussions  of  the  problems  of  turnover,  profits,  cost  ac- 
counting, keeping  of  stock,  window  display,  and  other  mat- 
ters which  are  directly  concerned  with  the  dealer's  methods  of 
doing  business.  There  is  a  tendency  for  such  a  house  organ 
to  overstep  its  proper  bounds  and  enter  the  field  of  the  general 
business  paper.  Such  a  tendency  is  ordinarily  to  be  guarded 
against,  as  the  publication  under  such  circumstances  frequently 
loses  its  efficiency  for  the  firm  on  whose  behalf  it  was  devel- 
oped without  securing  the  unbiased  and  dignified  character 
which  should  belong  to  the  business  paper. 

These  classifications  of  house  organs  do  not  by  any  means 
exhaust  the  list,  but  they  include  the  more  important  types. 
In  general,  it  may  be  said  that  the  house  organ  is  valuable  to 
any  particular  advertiser,  provided  a  need  exists  for  continu- 
ous communication  between  the  organization  and  any  other 
group  of  a  considerable  number  of  people.  Its  value  will  de- 
pend upon  the  degree  in  which  it  individually  serves  the  inter- 
ests of  that  group,  and  at  the  same  time,  keeps  before  their 
minds  the  ideals,  policies,  or  products  of  the  publisher. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

DETERMINING   WHAT   TO   SPEND 

General  Policy. — In  the  previous  chapters  in  this  book,  the 
principles,  and  the  detailed  application  of  those  principles  in 
each  branch  of  the  advertising  field,  have  been  fully  consid- 
ered. We  shall  now  analyze  an  actual  advertising  campaign 
to  see  how  the  principles  are  applied  and  correlated  in  the 
planning  and  operation  of  the  work. 

At  the  outset  it  should  be  understood  that  in  most  condi- 
tions in  actual  business  the  problem  of  working  out  an  adver- 
tising campaign  is  modified  by  the  previous  traditions  of  the 
business,  by  its  already  determined  policy,  by  its  limitations  of 
manufacture,  and  by  the  personal  equation  which  enters  into 
any  decision  of  an  important  character.  As  a  consequence  of 
these  modifications,  the  problem  in  practice  is  never  quite  so 
simple  a  matter  as  the  hypothetical  consideration  of  it,  where 
many  factors  must  be  assumed. 

Following  is  an  account  of  an  actual  campaign  which  was 
worked  out  in  connection  with  a  motor  lubricant.  Obviously, 
in  a  case  of  this  kind,  it  is  impossible  to  give  the  actual  figures, 
but  these  are  unnecessary  to  show  the  way  in  which  the  cam- 
paign was  developed  and  the  way  in  which  the  use  of  the 
principles  in  connection  with  the  campaign  aided  in  securing 
high  efficiency.  The  figures  and  the  actual  conditions  of  pre- 
liminary investigation  will,  of  course,  vary  with  each  particu- 
lar business  and  the  circumstances  of  that  business. 

It  should  also  be  understood  that  the  conduct  of  the  cam- 
paign itself  and  the  character  of  its  operation  would  be  very 
materially  changed  for  a  different  industry  or  for  a  different 
type  of  distribution. 

334 


DETERMINING  WHAT   TO    SPEND  335 

The  case  which  will  be  considered  is  a  case  where  the  goods 
go  through  the  distributors'  hands  and  where  they  are  of 
fairly  general  use.  This  case  represents  the  most  frequent 
and  important  advertising  condition,  and  requires  the  consid- 
eration of  practically  all  avenues  of  publicity  and  organization. 

Preliminary  Investigation. —  Inasmuch  as  this  product  has 
to  be  used  on  a  pleasure  or  commercial  automobile,  motor- 
cycle, or  motor-boat,  the  consumption  statistics  were  secured 
in  the  following  way: 

1 .  From  an  estimate  of  the  number  of  motor-cars  in 

each  state  as  shown  in  the 'registrations. 

2.  From  an  estimate  of  the  number  of  motor-cycles  in 

a  similar  way. 

3.  From  a  consideration  of  the  output  of  the  motor-boat 

factories  and  the  number  of  marine  motors  in  use, 
as  shown  by  the  registration  of  members  of  various 
motor-boat  clubs,  the  statistics  available  from  fac- 
tories and  the  investigation  of  the  picked  localities. 

The  disposition  of  the  cars  in  accordance  with  the  branches 
of  the  company  was  shown  to  be  as  follows: 

New  York    27      per  cent 

New   England    15        "      " 

Philadelphia    14        "       " 

Norfolk    i        "       " 

Chicago    36       "       " 

Dallas    8 

Houston   6 

Oklahoma  City   4 

Atlanta    '. 2        "       « 

El  Paso 2 

New  Orleans   i 

T-N  x>  «  « 

Denver    .  2 


336  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF   ADVERTISING 

The  subdivision  of  motor-cycles  and  of  motor-boats  was 
made  in  the  same  way  and  apportioned  to  each  branch. 

After  taking  the  number  of  cars,  motor-cycles,  and  motor- 
boats,  a  careful  estimate  was  made  of  the  possible  yearly  sales 
volume  to  each  from  the  standpoint  of  money  value.  Then 
the  present  output  of  the  factory  was  taken  and  compared  with 
the  possible  volume  in  the  territory  in  each  branch.  It  was 
found  that  about  2  per  cent  of  the  business  generally  was 
being  secured  and  that  about  10  per  cent  could  be  handled  by 
the  factory  working  at  its  fullest  capacity. 

A  further  analysis  was  then  made  by  taking  the  total  num- 
ber of  cars,  motor-cycles,  and  motor-boats  in  the  territory  cov- 
ered by  each  branch  and  developing  the  amount  in  money 
represented  by  the  total  volume  of  sales  in  that  territory. 
This  amount  was  divided  by  the  total  area  in  square  miles,  so 
that  a  definite  volume  per  square  mile  of  total  business  in 
the  commodity  was  secured.  This  illustrated  the  point  that 
the  number  of  cars  in  some  of  the  agricultural  territories  was 
so  small  and  the  cars  themselves  so  widely  scattered  that  all 
the  business  required  to  bring  the  output  of  the  factories  up 
to  its  greatest  possible  capacity  could  be  secured  in  the  more 
thickly  settled  branches. 

Sales  efforts  in  connection  with  this  particular  automobile 
accessory  were  held  over  in  the  district  covered  by  four  of  the 
branches,  except  as  the  business  was  automatically  produced 
as  an  incident  of  the  sale  of  other  products. 

Competitive  Statistics. — A  careful  investigation  was  made 
of  competitive  conditions,  and  it  was  discovered  that  there 
were  eight  principal  competitors  engaged  in  practically  a  na- 
tional business.  Of  these  competitors  the  largest  had  30  per 
cent,  three  others  15  per  cent,  one  10  per  cent,  two  5  per  cent, 
the  lowest  of  the  eight  being  2  per  cent,  and  the  rest  of  the 
business  being  divided  among  more  or  less  local  efforts. 


DETERMINING   WHAT   TO    SPEND  337 

Further  analysis  of  the  competitive  situation  showed: 

1 .  That  the  largest  business  was  held  by  the  firm  whose 

product  was  most  extensively  and  thoroughly  ad- 
vertised. 

2.  That  the  distributing  facilities  entered  very  consider- 

ably into  the  matter  of  sales  volume. 

3 .  That  the  general  reputation  of  the  concern  and  prompt 

service  were  important  factors,  as  well  as  the  qual- 
ity of  the  goods. 

This  investigation  developed  also,  particularly  as  to  the 
advertising  sales  policy: 

1 .  Those  competitors  who  had  secured  the  most  busi- 

ness protected  the  dealer,  instituted  some  sort  of 
training  for  the  sales  force,  and  used  a  satisfaction 
guarantee  of  some  kind. 

2.  The  advertising  of  all  competitors  showed  the  use 

of  practically  the  same  arguments. 

3.  Very  little  effort  had  been  made  to  establish  individ- 

uality in  connection  with  the  value  of  the  product, 
individuality  having  been  derived  from  package, 
trade-mark,  and  the  other  accessories. 

In  respect  to  the  product  itself,  this  investigation  showed 
that  the  output  of  a  number  of  the  largest  competitors  was  of 
practically  equal  value  from  a  technical  standpoint.  Further- 
more, a  large  proportion  of  the  material  was  sold  without 
identification  to  the  ultimate  consumer,  and  the  dealer  influ- 
ence was  consequently  very  great.  This  had  evidently  affected 
prices,  as  prices  were  by  no  means  standard,  and  there  was 
not  only  a  great  deal  of  fluctuation  but  a  great  deal  of  differ- 
ence between  competitors  as  to  price. 

If  the  student  will  refer  to  Chapter  III  for  the  factors 
which  enter  into  preliminary  investigation  and  compare  the 


338  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF   ADVERTISING 

principles  enunciated  in  that  chapter  with  the  preliminary  in- 
vestigation as  stated,  he  will  find  illustrated  in  this  case  the 
advantage  and  the  value  in  the  application  of  the  principles 
considered  in  that  chapter. 

After  this  preliminary  investigation  had  been  concluded, 
the  next  step  was  the  consideration  of  the  sales  arguments  and 
atmosphere  to  form  the  basis  of  the  copy  and  the  choice  of 
media  to  be  used. 

Consumer  and  Dealer. — In  considering  the  sales  arguments 
it  was  necessary  to  study  the  consumer  and  the  dealer.  Inves- 
tigation disclosed  the  fact  that  only  a  small  percentage  of  the 
consumers  actually  insisted  upon  securing  a  certain  brand  of 
material,  the  majority  of  them  evidently  being  influenced  more 
by  the  convenience  of  buying. 

Further  investigation  disclosed  the  fact  that  while  there 
was  a  good  market  for  a  high-priced  material,  such  as  was 
being  considered  in  this  campaign,  a  very  large  number  of 
dealers  were  buying  mainly  on  price,  with  the  exception  that 
prompt  service  in  delivery  was  of  considerable  importance. 

A  study  of  the  consumer  showed  that  there  were  about  10 
to  12  per  cent  of  users  who  were  intimately  interested  in  every 
detail  in  the  running  of  the  car  or  boat,  to  such  an  extent  that 
every  item  which  entered  into  its  production  or  up-keep  was 
discussed  and  of  importance  to  them;  that  about  30  per  cent 
paid  considerable  attention  to  the  buying  of  supplies  and  equip- 
ment for  the  car  and  could  be  induced  to  insist  upon  one  item 
or  another  when  the  importance  of  the  item  could  be  suffi- 
ciently illustrated;  and  that  a  considerable  portion  of  the  users 
were  not  particularly  concerned  with  anything  in  the  way  of 
accessories,  so  long  as  the  car  ran  properly  and  the  charges 
were  not  unduly  large. 

Investigation  was  made  of  the  product  itself,  and  the 
values  which  the  manufacturing  end  of  the  business  placed 


DETERMINING  WHAT   TO  SPEND  339 

upon  it  in  comparison  with  competitive  materials.  In  the 
course  of  this  investigation  two  outstanding  items  of  indi- 
viduality were  brought  to  the  advertising  man's  attention, 
which  indicated  the  possibility  of  increasing  economy  by  the 
use  of  the  material.  Sufficient  tests  had  been  made  and  suffi- 
cient testimony  received  from  customers  amply  to  prove  this 
condition.  From  the  investigations  and  consideration  of  the 
matter,  it  was  decided  that  the  sales  argument  should  have  the 
following  fundamental  ideas  behind  it: 

1 .  The  atmosphere  of  the  copy  should  indicate  the  addi- 

tion to  pleasure  to  be  secured  from  the  use  of  the 
lubricant. 

2.  The  copy  should  be  arranged  to  link  this  pleasure  with 

the  human  interest  of  the  motorist,  and  finally, 

3.  The  evidence  should  supply  the  argument  to  techni- 

cally prove  the  claim. 

Students  should  consider  in  this  connection  the  early  chap- 
ters on  the  psychological  factors  in  advertising. 

Choice  of  Media.— The  choice  of  the  media  for  this  cam- 
paign was  considered  on  the  basis  of  preliminary  investigation, 
the  condition  of  the  consumer,  and  the  type  of  sales  argument 
to  be  employed. 

A  further  study  of  conditions  in  the  cursory  consideration 
of  the  matter  developed  that  the  number  of  motorists  was  only 
a  very  small  part  of  the  total  population,  that  the  individual 
class  motor  magazines  reached  only  a  very  small  percentage 
of  the  total  number  of  motorists,  and  that  these  motorists  in- 
cluded every  type  from  the  standpoint  of  reading  habits  and 
taste  and  other  type  divisions.  Street-cars  were  quickly  elimi- 
nated because  of  the  enormous  waste  attached  to  dealing  with 
so  large  a  percentage  of  the  population  to  secure  the  attention 
of  so  small  a  number,  with  the  additional  consideration  that 


340  THE    PRINCIPLES   OF   ADVERTISING 

except  in  the  larger  cities,  the  motorists  did  not  ride  frequently 
in  street-cars. 

The  number  of  branches  and  the  extent  of  sales  distribution 
already  secured  by  this  company  made  it  necessary  to  consider 
an  advertising  campaign  in  all  parts  of  the  company's  terri- 
tory in  order  to  agree  with  the  sales  work  and  organization. 

The  small  part  of  the  population  interested  in  this  particu- 
lar commodity,  the  small  money  value  of  the  yearly  sale  to  the 
automobile-owner,  and  the  necessity  for  covering  much  ground 
with  a  small  expenditure,  made  it  obvious  that  the  backbone 
of  the  campaign  would  have  to  be  those  territorially  extensive 
media  which  were  valuable  as  to  selection  of  readers.  For 
the  principal  periodical  media,  therefore,  the  general  maga- 
zines were  chosen,  along  with  the  magazines  specializing  on 
matters  connected  with  the  automobile  for  the  "crank" 
motorist. 

Circulation  Analysis. —  The  choice  of  the  proper  number  of 
magazines  and  the  ones  individually  fitted  to  answer  the  pur- 
poses of  this  campaign  was  a  hard  matter,  owing  to  the  fact 
that  there  was  practically  no  evidence  as  to  the  number  of 
automobile-owners  in  proportion  to  the  total  circulation  of 
the  medium,  except  as  the  amount  of  advertising  secured  along 
automobile  lines  could  be  considered  as  evidence.  This  evi- 
dence was  not  thought  satisfactory,  and,  after  a  number  of 
ineffectual  attempts  to  secure  some  kind  of  evidence  upon 
which  the  expenditure  of  considerable  money  could  be  reason- 
ably predicated,  out  of  a  number  of  general  magazines  of- 
fered, a  choice  was  made  of  about  twice  the  number  it  was 
proposed  to  use.  This  choice  was  based  upon  the  editorial 
policy,  the  circulation  policy,  and  the  reports  from  the  com- 
pany's field  force. 

These  magazines  were  then  requested  to  send  into  the  ad- 
vertiser's office  circulation  records  covering  fifteen  cities  of 


DETERMINING  WHAT  TO   SPEND 


341 


sizes  varying  from  50,000  to  200,000.  Altogether  about  five 
hundred  thousand  names  were  accumulated,  covering  cities 
scattered  from  the  East  to  the  Southwest.  These  names  were 
compared  by  trustworthy  men  in  each  locality  with  the  tax 
list,  the  city  license  list,  the  locations  of  their  residences,  and  a 
recheck  from  the  storekeepers. 

Six  months  was  required  for  this  work,  but  at  the  end  of 


CIRCULATION  DATA 


MAGAZINE 

«  GOOD  LOCATION 

(WITH    MONEY  fOR 
LUXURIES  SUCH  AS 
AUTOMOBILES) 

*  MEDIUM  LOCATION 
(MOST    GENERAL 
ARTICLES    INVOLVING 
LESS    THAN    *SOO 
EXPENDITURE) 

*  BAD  LOCATION 
(POOR  BUYING  POWER) 

^-^  ^-^  

_^"\   .        -^  ^-> 

_^___^ 

^_^~^_-/— 

-—  -^V-x—  ^ 

Chart  A 


CIRCULATION  DATA 


NAME  OF 

TOTAL 

COST  or 

'GOOD 

ClRCULATION 

COST  OF  ADV 
PER    tOOO 

"GOOD  AND 

CIRCULATION 

COST  OF  ADV. 

PCM    1000 

PAGE 

PAGE 



_—  •  < 

/"V- 

.  •  —  - 

— 

_/^^_ 

Chart  B 

the  time  all  these  magazines  had  been  tested  through  a  suffi- 
cient proportion  of  circulation,  scattered  widely  enough  to  give 
an  average  of  the  percentage  of  automobile  public  to  which 
they  catered. 

The  conclusions  secured  from  this  investigation  were  as 
follows: 

1 .  The  amount  of  automobile  advertising  was  not  an  exact 
indication  of  the  value  of  a  particular  medium  for  automobile 
audience. 

2 .  The  circulation  of  interest,  that  is,  the  circulation  going 


342  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

to  automobile-owners,  or  possible  owners,  was  not  by  any 
means  in  proportion  to  the  total  circulation  of  the  magazine. 
In  one  case  a  publication  having  400,000  circulation  at  a  cost 
of  $400  per  page  per  issue,  showed  an  automobile  audience  of 
75,000,  while  another  publication,  having  a  total  circulation  of 
125,000,  at  a  cost  of  $250  per  page  per  issue,  showed  a  total  of 
100,000  circulation  of  interest  to  a  man  selling  to  automobile- 
owners. 

The  figures  were  entered  on  Chart  A  (on  page  341),  and 
then  figured  out  in  reference  to  the  cost  of  the  magazine  page 
on  Chart  B.  From  these  charts  the  final  choice  of  the  maga- 
zine media  was  made. 

The  choice  of  the  other  media  and  the  conditions  governing 
the  amount  and  proportion  of  the  appropriation  allowed  them 
were  worked  out  by  investigation  in  varying  ways. 

Dealers'  Investigation. — One  thousand  dealers  were  visited, 
and  from  this  experience  a  dealers'  book  was  gotten  up  which 
contained  all  the  advertising  to  be  conducted  to  the  consumer, 
and  in  certain  publications  having  dealer  circulation  the  con- 
sumer advertising  was  run  as  a  part  of  the  dealer  copy. 

It  was  felt  after  visiting  the  dealers  that  some  means  of 
identifying  the  dealer  and  tying  up  the  campaign  to  both  must 
be  found.  A  sign  for  the  front  of  the  dealer's  store  had  long 
been  used  in  similar  advertising  and  this  sign  was  made  a 
feature  of  the  copy  to  the  consumer  in  the  general  magazines, 
to  the  dealer  in  his  advertising,  and  to  the  salesman,  so  that 
all  legitimate  dealers  should  have  one  set  up. 

This  scheme  proved  to  be  effectual  only  with  transient  or 
touring  motorists,  and  some  more  definite  system  was  wanted 
for  the  ordinary  case.  The  direct  mail  system  was  made  avail- 
able for  the  dealer  in  order  to  get  the  full  effect.  Wherever 
the  dealer  began  to  stock  the  goods,  letters  were  sent  from 
him  to  all  the  automobile-owners  in  his  community,  calling  at- 


DETERMINING   WHAT   TO    SPEND  343 

tention  to  the  fact  and  requesting  them  to  have  their  needs 
filled  at  that  store. 

The  question  of  outdoor  advertising  came  in  for  a  good 
deal  of  attention  at  once,  because  of  the  outdoor  character 
of  the  proposition  and  the  many  opportunities  of  attracting 
the  motorist  at  the  time  of  his  use  of  the  machine.  Investiga- 
tion made  by  driving  an  automobile  along  all  the  touring  routes 
disclosed  the  fact  that  there  was  a  great  deal  of  loss  of  atten- 
tion due  to  the  location  of  many  signs.  All  locations  for  signs 
were  therefore  carefully  selected,  all  suggested  locations  being 
refused  unless  showing  head  on  to  the  road;  while  many  of 
the  locations  obtained  were  situated  so  that  the  lamps  of  the 
car  would  sweep  the  board  at  night. 

Window  display,  printed  matter,  and  other  items  were  in- 
cluded in  the  campaign,  the  proportion  of  the  various  items 
being  as  follows: 

General  magazines    31  per  cent 

Outdoor 25  " 

Trade  journal 12  "        " 

Printed  matter   12  " 

Small  signs  6  "       " 

Direct  mail  for  dealer 7  "        " 

Window,  counter,  and  show  displays 7 

If  the  student  will  refer  to  the  chapters  on  media,  and 
study  the  principles  of  selection  as  given  therein,  the  applica- 
tion of  those  principles  will  be  very  apparent  in  the  investiga- 
tions and  decisions  made  in  regard  to  the  division  of  the 
appropriation  in  this  particular  case. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 

WRITING    THE    COPY    AND    CONSIDERING    THE 

RETURNS 

Copy  Material. — From  the  investigation  of  the  product, 
which  had  been  made  under  the  preliminary  work  of  analysis, 
the  information  from  the  manufacturing  and  sales  ends  of  the 
business  was  accumulated  in  the  following  way  for  the  adver- 
tising to  the  consumer: 

1 .  The  advantages  of  the  product  because  of  the  proc- 

esses of  manufacture. 

2.  The  way  in  which  those  advantages  were  to  be  ob- 

served in  their  action  on  the  operation  of  the  car. 

3.  Tests  which  had  been  made  by  the  company's  engi- 

neers, the  results  obtained,  and  the  analysis  of  those 
results. 

4.  Tests  which  had  been  made  by  other  engineers  and 

the  information  available  from  them. 

5 .  Results  obtained  by  racing  drivers,  speed  boats,  aero- 

planes, and  the  like  in  contests,  the  opinions  of  the 
drivers,  the  conditions  under  which  each  of  the  con- 
tests were  staged,  and  the  service  required  of  the 
product  in  each  case. 

6.  Expressions  from  owners  of  all  kinds,  from  dealers 

and  manufacturers,  showing  the  results  obtained, 
but  not  necessarily  indicating  the  conditions  or  other 
analyses. 

7.  The  principal  difficulties  of  the  owner  in  connection 

with  the  operation  of  similar  products  and  the  effect 
of  the  particular  commodity  in  each  case, 
344 


The  Test  of  Winter 

Put  a  motor  oil  to  the  supreme  test, 
use  in  winter  weather,  and  you  can  judge 
"well  of  itt  quality.  It  will  break  down  then  if  ever. 

Many   fairly    good    oils    that    give    fairly    good 
service  in  summer  fail  utterly  under  the  extreme 

conditions  of  winter.    They  congeal,  grow  "lumpy,"  lose  their 

power  of  lubrication. 


MOTOR  OIL 


is  not  a  fair  weather  oil.  It  gives 
as  good  service  in  winter  as  in  sum- 
mer. It  gives  maximum  power  with 
minimum  consumption  and  without 
carbon  deposit. 

There  is  a  reason  for  this.  Texaco 
Motor  Oil  shows  a  zero  cold  test. 


It  will  not  congeal  at  zero.  It  is 
practically  unaffected  by  cold. 
Look  for  this  quality  when  you  buy. 
Buy  Texaco  and  you  won't  look  far. 
Nearly  all  good  garages  and  supply 
shops  sell  Texaco  Motor  Oil  in  1 
and  5  gallon  cans.  Inquire  at  yours. 


?hen  Tourinrf. 
>ok/brThis  Shi 


For  a  booklet,  "Maintaining  a  Motor  Car," 
that  may  help  you  with  some  of  your  motor 
troubles  and  that  will  enable  you  to  identify 
any  car  you  meet  on  the  road,  address  Dept.  B, 
5  West  St.,  New  York 

COMPANY 


NEW  YORK 

Orleans 


Consumer  comfort  advertising  (general  magazine) 


345 


346  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF   ADVERTISING 

8.  The  climatic  differences  in  different  territories  and 

the  effect  of  such  matters  upon  the  operation  of  the 
product  in  question. 

9.  The  extent  to  which  the  motor-owner  discriminated 

between  brands  in  buying  the  products  of  this  kind. 

For  the  advertising  to  the  dealer  the  points  were  arranged 
as  follows: 

1 .  The  extent  of  the  delivery  facilities  of  the  organiza- 

tion. 

2.  The  advantage  in  profit  (if  any),  the  advantage  in 

turnover,  and  the  advantage  in  other  custom  to  be 
secured  from  the  sale  of  this  product. 

3.  The  effect  of  the  sales  and  advertising  work  in  devel- 

oping the  right  use  and  advantage  of  the  product 
to  the  consumer. 

4.  The  value  of  the  service  to  the  dealer,  in  comparison 

with  the  efforts  put  out  by  competitors  in  the  same 
direction. 

When  these  matters  had  been  assembled,  reference  was 
made  to  the  human  interests  and  needs  such  as  have  been  indi- 
cated in  the  chapters  on  the  psychological  factors,  and  the  copy 
material  was  arranged  with  three  alternatives,  which  are  shown 
in  their  order  of  importance: 

1.  Results  showing  advantage  in  com  fort  and  convenience. 

2.  Results  showing  an  advantage  in  economy  of  operation. 

3.  Results  showing  a  reduction  in  repair  requirements. 

For  the  dealer  the  copy  material  was  arranged  with  two 
alternatives,  which  are  shown  here  in  their  order  of  impor- 
tance. 

1 .  Items  showing  direct  sales  advantages. 

2.  Items  showing  advantages  through  the  indirect  effect 

from  the  consumer. 


Scarcely  A  Sound 

FEW  car  owners  realize  to  how  great  an  extent 
lubrication,    or   lack  of  lubrication,  affects  the 
3  operation  of  a  motor. 

No  matter  how  good  your  power  plant,  that  soft, 
almost  inaudible  purr  indicative  of  perfect  action  and 
maximum  power  may  only  be  obtained  through  the 
use  of  a  lubricant  of  the  highest  quality. 


OIL 


fills  the  bill.  By  its  use  you  obtain 
maximum  power  from  a  quiet,  easy- 
running  motor.  You  get  an  oil  that  will 
never  deposit  a  hard  carbon  crust  on 
cylinder  walls  or  spark  plugs.  You  get 
an  oil  that  lubricates  perfectly  at  all  times 
on  account  of  a  zero  cold  test.  Lastly 


you  get  an  oil  that  will  reduce  your 
gasoline  consumption  anywhen  from  Jifteeti 
to  thirty  per  cent. 

Test  these  statements  for  yourself.  You 
can  obtain  Texaco  Motor  Oil  at  most 
good  garages  and  supply  shops.  Sold 
in  1  and  5  gallon  cans. 


Write  us  for  booklet  "Maintaining  a  Motor  Car  "  You  will  find  it  instructive  and  entertaining. 

Address  Dept.  C, 
Tourinrf, 

"<i_  TI-  *  _    o*-O   a 

THE    TEXAS    COMPANY 

HOUSTON  NEW  YORK 

Branch  OJSut: 
Boston  St.  Louis      New  Orleans      Pueblo 

PhiludelphU     Norfolk         Dallas  Tulsa 

Chicago  Atlanta         El  Paso 


Consumer  convenience  advertisement  (general  magazine) 
347 


5  :;*-Without 
Texaco 
Motor  Oil 


Throttle 
closed 
when  at 
this  point 


TVILII       ICTAC1V-.W      I     IWLUT        \~/ l\'f^r\^.^ 

Reduces  Gasoline  Consumption 


"\7"OUR  throttle  tells  the  story  of  gas  consumption  and  power   developed — tells  it 
V   truthfully  and  graphically.     When  your  motor  is  developing  full  power  the  throttle 
is  not  opened  so  wide  to  'give  a  speed  of  say  twenty  miles  an  hour,  as  when  the 
motor  is  acting  poorly.     The  consumption  in  gasoline  is  not  as  great. 
Texaco  Motor  Oil  reduces  gasoline  consumption  Ly  increasing  power.   A  large  manufacturer  of  motor 
cars  (name  on  request)  conducted  several  tests  among  lubricants  competitive  with  Texaco  Motor  Oil. 
The  oil  that  these  tests  proved  to  be  the  best  was  twice  tested  against  Texaco  with  the  following  re- 
sults in  favor  of  the  latter: 


Test  No.  1 

Decrease  in  gasoline  consumption  per  8  hours 
run,  3.21  gals.,  or  31.3%. 

Decrease  in  lubriqating  oil  consumption,  per  8 
hours  run,  .313  gals.,  or  24%. 

Increase  in  miles  per  gallon  of  gasoline,  5.7, 
or  31%. 

Increase  in  miles  per  gallon  of  lubricating  oil, 
33.1  on  24%. 


Test  No.  2 

Reduction  in  gasoline  consumption  per  7  hours, 
5.187  gals.,  or  28%. 

Reduction  in  lubricating  oil  consumption  per 
7  hours,  .375  gals.,  or  33%. 

Reduction  in  gasoline  consumption  per  10  h.p. 
hours,  .741  gals,  or  28%. 

Reduction  in  lubricating  oil  consumption  per 
10  h.p.  hours,  .0537  gals.,  or  33.%. 


Space  permits  us  to  give  here  the  results  of  only  these  two  tests.     Data  with  regard  to  others  will  be 
furnished  gladly  on  request. 

You  get  more  out  of  your  motor  in  the  way  of  power  and  put  less  into  it  in  the  way  of  gasoline  and 
oil  when  you  use  Texaco. 

Texaco  Motor  Oil  is  for  sale  in  1  and  5  gallon  cans  at  most  good  garages  and  supply  shops.     Ask  for 
it.     For  interesting  and  informative  booklet,  "Maintaining  a  Motor  Car,"  address  Dept.,  F,       Five 


West  St.,  N.  Y.  City. 


THE  TEXAS  COMPANY 


Philadelphia         El  Pa 


Consumer  economy  advertising   (general  magazine) 


348 


Read 
These 
Marked 
Paragraphs 


When  Touring, Look  forThis  Si 


IT  INDICATES  untaitmg  g 
efficient  service  ant!  where  y 
the  main  highways  from  Ta 
delphia,  Chicago,  St.  l.ouis.   Fro 
helpful  guide. 


u  can  get  Texaco  Motor  Oil.  It  blaze.. 
pa  to  Bangor;  from  New  York  to  Phila- 
the Mississippi.  East,  it  acts,  as  a  friendly, 


TEXACO 

MOTOR  OIL 


man  who  has  the  interests  of  his 
heart  gives  them  the  best  of  everything  regard- 
Do  you 

•  pmn- tfi/li     of   which 
:  conducted     find  out. 


g,  hard  tons,  hare  shown  an 

ire  ahtence  of  tarton  accumulation.     Perfect 
lubrication  is  obtained  at  all  times  in  any  type 


less  of  profit  or  price. 
Texaco  Motor  Oil  gives 


capable*    Try  Texaco  and 

For  ule  in  1  and  S  gallon  can.  »t  moil  good  cancel  and  »up|.fy  iJw>p».     For  in. 
rtryclive  and  interesting  booklet,  "Maintaining  a  Motor  Car",  addrc*>  0«rt.  D   . 


Do  they  refer  to  your  garage  ?      Is  the  efficient,  courteous  service, 
given  your  customers  advertised  to  75  out  of  every  100  car  owners 
in  this  country  ? 
If  you  show  the  Texaco  Motor  Oil  sign  it  is.    If  you  don't,  it  isn't. 

hundreds  of  car  owners  Who  buy  where  they  find  *  Texaco 
Sign.  They  buy  because  tht  garage^lAat  tarriei  that  sign  kat 
betn  advertised  to  them  and  they  have  confidence  in  it.  And 
they  don't  only  buy  oil.'  They  buy  shoes,  .tubes,  gas.  etc. 
They  have  repair  work  to  be  done. 
Do  you  show  the  Texaco  Sign  ?  If  not  write  pur  sales 


Perhaps  you  haven't  realized  what  Texaco  advertising 

to  the  dealer  who  carries  Texaco  Motor  Oil.     Read  this 

consumer  ad  and  you  will. 

This  advertisement,   and  many  others  like  it,  appears  in  19 

leading  national  publications  having  a  combined  circulation  of 

five  million  and  a  half  copies.  These  publications  reach  about 

75  per  cent  of  all  the  car  owners  in  the  country* 

This  great  publicity  has  its  effect.     The  scene-  shown  at  the 

top  of  the  advertisement  is  true  to  life.     It  is  enacted  daily  by 


department  and  learn  more  about  Texaco  Dealer  Service; 
AJdres.  Dept,  Four, 

THE    TEXAS    COMPANY 
WHITEHALL  NEW  YORK  CITY 

EXECUTirE  OFFICES, 
HOUSTON  NEW  YORK 

BRANCH  OFFICES: 
Biiladetphi.          Chicago          St.  Louis          Norfolk          Atlanta          New  Orlean.          Dallas          El  Paftx          Pu*bl6         Tub. 


Dealer  advertisement  for  consumer  tie-up 


349 


350  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

The  copy  attached  to  this  chapter  will  illustrate  the  working 
out  of  some  of  these  arguments  in  both  cases. 

It  was  further  decided  that  a  consideration  of  the  psycho- 
logical features  involved  had  indicated  the  advantage  of  illus- 
tration to  such  an  extent  that  all  advertising  in  periodicals, 
should  be  illustrated  as  effectively  as  possible. 

The  actual  writing  of  the  copy  and  the  making  of  the  lay- 
out were  governed  by  the  ideas  developed  from  the  considera- 
tion of  the  material  and  atmosphere  to  be  preserved. 

The  samples  of  the  copy  shown  should  be  used  by  the 
student  in  connection  with  the  chapters  on  copy  and  arrange- 
ment, as  they  will  indicate  the  result  of  a  practical  applica- 
tion of  the  principles  involved  in  the  considerations  in  these 
chapters,  and  it  will  be  possible  for  the  student  through  this 
study  to  determine  the  extent  to  which  they  have  fallen  short 
of  the  maximum  efficiency  which  should  be  reached.  The 
working  out,  in  practical  business,  of  the  laws  applicable  to 
human  affairs,  must  of  necessity  suffer  from  the  deficiencies 
of  the  workers,  and  there  are  points  in  each  of  these  adver- 
tisements which,  despite  the  care  and  investigation,  are  to  be 
counted  as  taking  away  from  the  ideal  operation  of  the  prin- 
ciples upon  which  they  are  based. 

Psychological  Investigation. — After  the  copy  was  written, 
one  further  investigation  was  made  before  the  material  was 
used.  A  number  of  approved  pieces  of  copy  were  tested  in 
the  manner  described  in  Chapter  XIII.  The  copy  finally  used 
was  confined  to  those  pieces  which  had  shown  approximately 
the  same  results. 

In  order  to  check  this  in  the  working  out  of  the  campaign, 
the  copy  was  keyed  and  a  careful  analysis  made  of  the  replies 
on  a  form  similar  to  the  one  illustrated.  It  is  interesting  to 
observe  the  agreement  between  the  actual  results  obtained  and 
the  estimated  results  secured  from  the  investigation. 


WRITING   THE   COPY— THE   RETURNS 


351 


These  practical  copy  results  therefore  bore  out  the  prin- 
ciples stated  in  the  chapters  mentioned,  and  form  additional 
evidence  of  the  necessity  for  the  investigation  outlined,  or  the 
advantage  of  the  estimate  in  advance  of  use. 

The  returns  from  the  copy  which  were  shown  on  the  chart 
illustrated  in  connection  with  the  investigation  of  the  copy, 
were  used  in  estimating  the  comparative  value  of  the  different 
magazines  in  comparison  with  Chart  B,  shown  in  the  previous 
chapter. 

Copy  Returns. — Tt  will  be  noted  that  in  Chart  B  the  esti- 
mated value  of  the  publications  from  the  analysis  of  circula- 
tion undertaken,  was  compared  with  the  total  circulation  and 
the  cost  of  the  space,  so  that  a  true  comparison  could  be  made 
one  with  the  other. 

In  connection  with  Chart  C,  showing  the  returns  from  the 
copy,  the  replies  were  again  compared  with  the  cost  and  the 
circulation  of  interest  so  that  a  parallel  could  be  established 
with  the  earlier  results  exhibited  on  Chart  B.  In  general,  it 

ADVERTISING  CAMPAIGN-FISCAL  YEAR 


NC 

* 

B 

c 

10 

12 

INQUIRIES 
AND  AVERAGE 
COST    PER 
INQUIRY. 

NO.  OF  ISSUES 
ACCORDING 
TO  COPY 

Chart  C 


352  THE   PRINCIPLES   OF  ADVERTISING 

was  found  that  the  results  were  according  to  expectations,  so 
that  the  value  of  the  earlier  investigation  was  borne  out;  there 
were  some  discrepancies,  but  these  were  traced  further,  with 
the  result  that  most  of  these  disappeared  under  a  development 
of  the  character  of  the  returns  which  separated  the  worthless 
inquiries  from  those  which  were  of  value  from  a  sales  stand- 
point. 

While  the  returns  from  the  copy  were  valuable  for  com- 
parative purposes  in  considering  the  relation  of  the  different 
publications  to  each  other,  they  were  entirely  insufficient  to 
form  a  basis  upon  which  the  value  of  the  campaign  as  a  whole 
could  be  predicated.  Moreover,  the  character  of  the  campaign 
was  such  that  the  advertising  was  not  expected  to  complete  the 
sale,  but  to  act  merely  to  arouse  interest  upon  the  part  of  the 
consumer  and  a  demand,  if  possible,  from  him  upon  the 
dealer.  Consequently  the  value  of  the  campaign  had  to  be 
determined  from  an  entirely  different  standpoint. 

The  purpose  of  the  campaign,  of  course,  was  to  increase  the 
sale  of  the  goods,  and  to  accumulate  new  dealers  through 
whom  such  sales  could  be  made.  The  success  of  the  campaign 
depended,  therefore,  upon  the  increase  in  the  total  volume  of 
the  sales,  the  number  of  new  customers  secured,  and  the  rela- 
tive expense  at  which  these  results  had  been  accomplished. 

General  Returns. — In  other  words,  before  the  advertising 
was  started  a  certain  amount  of  material  had  been  sold  at 
certain  sales  cost.  When  the  expenditure  of  money  for  ad- 
vertising was  decided  upon,  it  was  done  with  the  expectation 
that  the  volume  of  sales  would  be  increased  without  requiring 
the  same  proportionate  expenditure  of  money  to  accomplish  it. 
To  illustrate  this  by  hypothetical  figures,  suppose  the  original 
sales  condition  before  advertising  was  as  follows: 

Gross  revenue  from  sales $100,000.00 

Sales  expense  15,000.00 


WRITING   THE   COPY— THE   RETURNS 


353 


Then  the  percentage  of  selling  expense  to  gross  revenue 
would  be  15  per  cent.  If,  then,  $40,000  is  appropriated  for 
advertising,  it  is  expected  that  the  expenditure  of  that  amount 
will  increase  the  sales  so  that  the  condition  will  read  as  follows: 

Gross  revenue  from  sales $462,000.00 

Advertising  expense 40,000.00 

Sales  expense   30,000.00 

or  not  more  than  a  15  per  cent  relation. 

Of  course  the  proportion  of  selling  and  advertising  expense 
may  be  altered — this  will  depend  upon  the  particular  circum- 
stances of  the  proposition;  but  the  addition  of  the  advertising 
should  increase  the  business  sufficiently  to  keep  the  total  ex- 
pense of  selling  and  advertising  at  the  same  or  a  lower  per- 
centage on  the  total  revenue  than  the  condition  without  the 
advertising  showed.  Unless  it  does  this,  the  advertising  will 
add  a  burden  of  extra  cost  to  each  unit  of  sale  and  conse- 
quently be  without  economic  justification. 


ADVERTISING  CAMPAIGN 
SALES  OF  FROM 


SALES  BV 
STATES 

JAN. 

FEB. 

MAR. 

APRIL 

MAV 

JUNE 

ETC. 

SALES 

IN  EACH  STATE 

YEARLY 

CONSUMPTION 

*    OF 

CONSUMPTION 

TOTALS 

COST  OF  ADVER- 
TISING EACH  MO. 

TOTAL 

COST  OF  ADVER- 
TISING    EACH 
UNIT 

AVERAGE 
COST 

Chart  D 

In  order  to  determine  this,  it  was  necessary  to  take  the  con- 
dition of  the  business  before  advertising  and  compare  it  with 


THE    PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

the  condition  at  the  end  of  the  campaign.  This  was  done  by 
the  use  of  the  following  methods: 

Chart  D.  On  this  chart  were  plotted  each  month  the  sales 
of  the  particular  product  and  this  amount  compared  with  the 
same  month  of  the  previous  year.  A  comparison  was  also 
made  with  the  amount  of  business  which  should  be  secured  in 
order  to  take  the  expected  proportion  of  the  total  consumption. 
These  figures  were  then  recapitulated  for  each  six  months  and 
yearly  period,  the  form  illustrated  showing  the  recapitulation 
for  the  first  six  months  of  the  year. 

It  will  be  noted  that  under  the  sales  for  each  month  is  a 
statement  of  the  advertising  expense  for  the  month,  and  the 
advertising  expense  per  unit  of  sale. 

This  shows  during  the  six  months'  period  the  progressive 
tendency  of  the  advertising  expense  on  each  unit  sold,  and  this 
tendency  to  be  correct  should  decline  during  the  earlier  part 
of  the  campaign  until  it  reaches  its  minimum  per  cent  and  its 
maximum  efficiency. 

At  the  end  of  the  year  Chart  E  was  filled  out  with  th" 
totals  secured  from  Charts  filled  out  under  D.  This  char1 
shows  the  comparison  of  the  gross  revenue  with  and  without 
advertising,  the  net  revenues  in  the  same  cases,  the  increase 
in  the  number  of  units  sold,  and  the  status  of  the  selling  cost 
per  unit  in  each  case — in  the  one  case  including  the  advertising. 

These  two  charts  give  an  excellent  survey  of  the  general 
value  of  the  advertising  as  built  up  over  the  period,  upon  the 
actual  sale  of  the  goods  and  the  proportionate  cost  of  selling 
them.  Something  further  is  needed  to  develop  the  exact  effect 
upon  the  number  of  distributors  carrying  the  product  and  the 
area  of  its  distribution. 

Chart  F  supplies  the  information  for  each  branch  office, 
showing  graphically  the  number  of  new  dealers  secured  by 
this  work  and  the  way  in  which  the  work  of  the  selling  force 
upon  the  new  dealers  fluctuates  from  month  to  month. 


WRITING  TH£   COPY— THE  RETURNS  355 

From  this  chart  a  combined  chart  was  made  at  the  end  of 
the  period,  showing  from  the  monthly  return  the  totals  for 
all  branches  and  the  losses  for  all  branches  through  failure  to 
secure  repeat  business. 

These  charts,  the  one  for  each  branch  and  the  one  for  the 
totals,  showed  the  additions  of  new  distributors,  the  losses 
due  to  failure  to  retain  their  customers,  and  the  net  gains  for 
each  territory;  so  that  they  not  only  indicated  the  results  in 
general  through  the  work  of  the  combined  selling  and  adver- 
tising organization,  but  showed  at  a  glance  the  strong  and 
weak  territories  from  a  distributing  standpoint. 

COMPARISON 

Gross  revenue  Fiscal  Year,  with  advertising $ 

Gross  revenue  previous  Fiscal  Year,  without  adver- 
tising   


Increase    $. 


Net  revenue  Fiscal  Year,  with  advertising $ 

Net  revenue  previous  Fiscal  Year,  without  adver- 
tising    


Increase    $• 


Total  number  sold  Fiscal  Year,  with  advertising. . . 
Total  number  sold  previous  Fiscal  Year,  without  ad- 
vertising    


Increase 


Cost  per  unit  selling,  without  advertising $. 

Cost  per  unit  selling  and  advertising  on  increased 
sale   , 


Decrease    ....$. 

Chart  E 


356 


THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 


By  comparison  with  the  total  consumption  figures  for  each 
branch,  further  figures  were  secured  showing  the  percentage 
of  distribution  in  proportion  to  the  total  possible  volume  of 
business,  and  therefore  another  angle  on  the  strength  or  weak- 
ness of  the  distributing  facilities. 


ADVERTISING    CAMPAIGN 

BRANCH  OFFICE  NO.___, 

NEW   CUSTOMERS    BY   MONTH 
FISCAL  YEAR 


200 

JULY 

AUGUST 

.(,TCM.» 

OCT08CR 

NOVEMBER 

DECEMBER 

JANUARY 

FEBRUARY 

MARCH 

APRIL 

MAY 

JUME 

16O 

126 

1OO 

76 

6O 

26 

o 

Chart  F 

These  operations  have  necessarily  been  given  very  briefly 
and  without  the  minute  detail  which  had  to  be  gone  through  in 
every  part  in  order  to  bring  them  to  a  successful  conclusion. 
Not  all  of  them  apply  to  all  lines  of  business  by  any  means, 
nor  are  all  the  investigations  here  indicated  of  fundamental 
necessity  with  all  problems.  The  modifications,  however,  which 
arise  in  these  cases  are  similar  to  all  conditions  which  sur- 
round the  individual  application  of  recognized  principles  in 
any  business  operation.  They  are  the  things  which  can  only 
be  acquired  when  the  student  has  forsaken  the  classroom  for 
the  business  office  and  transferred  his  preparatory  knowledge 
to  the  necessities  of  every-day  business  requirements.  When 
the  student  has  acquired  all  that  is  contained  in  the  chapters 


Head-on  sign  —  automobile  road 
357 


358  THE   PRINCIPLES    OF   ADVERTISING 

of  this  book,  he  will  undoubtedly  be  better  equipped  to  under- 
stand and  pursue  the  business  operations  which  must  measure 
his  success ;  but  the  intelligent  use  of  experience  and  the  appre- 
ciation of  the  necessity  of  experience  thoroughly  analyzed  is 
as  much  a  part  of  his  success  as  anything  else. 

The  text-book  is  the  point  of  departure  for  the  man  who 
desires  to  add  his  contribution  to  the  world's  scientific  know- 
ledge ;  as  such  it  can  cover  only  what  has  been  discovered  and 
then  only  in  general  terms.  The  application  of  the  things 
already  known  and  the  definition  of  the  new  things  to  come 
depend  upon  the  student  himself,  his  analysis  of  the  princi- 
ples contained  in  the  written  knowledge,  and  his  more  careful 
analysis  of  the  new  things  which  experience  will  bring  within 
his  ken. 


APPENDIX 

REVIEW  QUESTIONS 
Chapter  I 

1.  What  historical  events  were  responsible  for  the  rise  of  advertising 

to  a  position  of  importance  in  the  field  of  marketing? 

2.  What   modern   industrial    factors   make    advertising   a    necessity 

today  ? 

3.  Define  advertising. 

4.  What  are  the  limitations  of  advertising  as  compared  with  personal 

selling? 

5.  What  advantages  has  printed  advertising  over  word  of  mouth 

selling? 

Chapter  II 

1.  What  are  the  chief  functions  and  purposes  of  advertising  today? 

2.  What    are    the    general    methods    of   distributing    manufactured 

products  ? 

3.  In  what  ways  can  advertising  lower  the  marketing  cost  of  an 

article? 

4.  What  is  the  value  of  advertising  to  the  consumer? 

Chapter  III 

1.  What  underlying  factors  affecting  marketing  have  to  be  analyzed 

as  a  preliminary  to  any  advertising  campaign  ? 

2.  In  which  of  the  following  cases  would  it  be  advisable  to  dispose 

of  a  product  in  as  small  a  territory  as  possible  adjacent  to  the 
factory : 

(a)  Toilet  soap 

(b)  Furniture 

(c)  Books 

3.  Of  what  value  is  a  knowledge  of  the  per  capita  consumption  of  a 

product  throughout  a  territory? 

4.  What  considerations  govern  the  judgment  of  the  kind  of  package 

to  be  used? 

5.  In  what  kinds  of  commodities  is  it  most  practicable  to  secure 

higher  prices  than  those  represented  by  the  majority  market? 

6.  How  does  the  buying  habit  of  the  consumer  affect  the  economic 

use  of  advertising? 

Chapter  IV 

i.  Why  is  it  necessary  for  the  Advertising  Manager  to  have  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  the  operations  of  the  sales  force  ?  Name 
some  of  the  policies  which  are  most  important  to  him. 

359 


360  THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

2.  What  points  regarding  the  product  should  be  investigated? 

3.  What  three  elements  aside  from  the  individuality  of  the  product 

should  be  studied  with  reference  to  the  competitors?    . 

Chapter  V 

1.  What  are  the  chief  purposes  for  which  an  advertising  campaign 

may  be  undertaken? 

2.  Wrhy  is  advertising  of  value  to  a  public  service  corporation  which 

has  a  practical  monopoly  of  its  class  of  product  in  the  territory 
it  serves? 

Chapter  VI 

1.  How  did  the  trade-mark  originate? 

2.  What  influences  gave  the  trade-mark  its  present  importance  as  an 

element  in  the  advertising  campaign? 

3.  What  are  the  general  requirements  for  a  trade-mark  to  be  regis- 

terable  in  this  country? 

4.  What  are  the  requirements  for  the  trade-mark  from  a  psycholog- 

ical standpoint? 

5.  What  are  the  leading  requirements  for  a  good  trade  name  ? 

Chapter  VII 

1.  Why  is  psychological  study  of  value  to  the  advertising  man? 

2.  What    are    the    psychological    tasks    usually    undertaken    by    an 

advertisement? 

3.  What  analyses  are  necessary  for  accomplishing  these  tasks  success- 

fully? 

Chapter  VIII 

1.  What  is  meant  by  an  instinct? 

2.  What  are  the  three  leading  tendencies  of  instincts  as  civilization 

advances  ? 

3.  What  is  the  relationship  between  instincts  and  emotions? 

4.  Why  is  it  helpful  to  know  the  relative  strength  of  various  impor- 

tant instincts  ? 

5.  How  can  a  knowledge  of  the   relative   strength   of   appeals   to 

instincts  and  other  human  interests  be  applied  in  the  construc- 
tion of  an  advertisement? 

Chapter  IX 

1.  What  are  the  chief  functions  of  a  complete  sales  appeal? 

2.  What  are  the  characteristic  functions  of  a  complete  advertisement? 

3.  How    does    a    publicity    advertisement    differ    from    a    complete 

advertisement  ? 

4.  What  are  the  purposes  and  methods  of  the  Want  Ads? 


REVIEW  QUESTIONS  361 

5.  Classify  advertisements  according  to  the  mechanisms  or  methods 
they  use  in  making  an  appeal,  and  name  for  illustrative  purposes 
a  few  types  of  articles  for  which  each  of  these  is  suitable. 

Chapter  X 

1.  Name  the  principal  mechanical  incentives  to  attention. 

2.  How  great  an  increase  in  attention  value  is  secured  by  increasing 

the  size  of  an  advertisement? 

3.  On  a  right-hand  page  divided  by  a  vertical  and  a  horizontal  line 

into  four  quarters,  which  position  is  most  valuable;  which  is 
least  valuable;  how  great  is  the  difference  in  value? 

4.  Why  is  the  class  of  attention  devices  known  as  interest  incentives 

more  valuable  than  mechanical  devices  ?    Name  the  chief  inter- 
est incentives. 

Chapter  XI 

1.  What  is  the  law  of  contiguity? 

2.  What  is  the  law  of  sequence? 

3.  What  is  the  law  of  feeling  tone? 

4.  What  is  the  law  of  fusion? 

5.  Name  at  least  three  principles  of  typography  which  find  their 

origin  in  the  law  of  fusion. 

Chapter  XII 

1.  Why  is  the  direct  command  frequently  employed  in  advertising? 

Under  what  circumstances  is  it  dangerous? 

2.  Why  is  it  more  effective  to  use  a  "do"  than  a  "do  not"  in  an 

advertisement  ? 

3.  How  does  the  prestige  of  the  source  affect  the  force  of  a  sugges- 

tion? 

4.  By  what  other  means  may  the  force  of  a  suggestion  be  increased? 

Chapter  XIII 

i .  Why  is  it  useful  to  analyze  and  test  an  advertisement  by  psycho- 
logical laboratory  methods  ? 

Chapter  XIV 

1.  In   what   respects   does   the   purpose   of   advertising   copy  differ 

from  the  purpose  of  other  forms  of  written  composition  ? 

2.  How  does  this  affect  the  principles  of  writing  it? 

3.  What  is  a  good  advertising  style? 

4.  What  are  the  two  fundamental  qualities  advertising  should  have 

to  make  an  effective  impression? 

5.  Why    is    correctness    of    grammar    and    word  jse    necessary    in 

advertising  copy? 


362  THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

Chapter  XV 

1.  What  is  meant  by  the  principle  of  unity? 

2.  How  is  this  principle  applied  in  advertising  copy? 

3.  What  is  meant  by  coherence  ? 

4.  Explain  the  chief  means  by  which  coherence  is  secured. 

5.  Without  considering  the  possibilities   of  display  type   and  other 

mechanical   means,   explain  how   a  piece   of  advertising  copy 
may  be  made  emphatic. 

Chapter  XVI 

1.  Why  is   "substitute   copy"   ordinarily   ineffective?     Under  what 

circumstances  may  it  be  used? 

2.  What  are  the  kinds  of  evidence  most  commonly  used  for  reason- 

why  appeals? 

3.  Distinguish  between  inductive  and  deductive  reason-why  appeals. 

Chapter  XVII 

1.  What  are  the  chief  requirements  in  a  direct  appeal  to  the  senses? 

2.  What  dangers  have  to  be  guarded  against  in  direct  sense  appeals  ? 

3.  Why  is  the  dramatic  or  story  form  of  copy  a  good  way  of  making 

a  human-interest  appeal  ? 

Chapter  XVIII 

1.  What  are  the  requirements  of  good  use  in  words? 

2.  Under  what  circumstances,  if  any,  may  a  word  not  in  good  use 

be  employed  in  advertising  copy  ? 

3.  Distinguish  between  the  denotation  and  connotation  of  words. 

4.  What  questions  regarding  the  connotation  must  be  satisfactorily 

answered  before  using  a  word  in  advertising  copy? 

5.  What  is  a  balanced  sentence?     Why  is  it  useful  in  advertising 

copy? 

6.  How  can  a  sentence  be  made  emphatic  ? 

7.  What  was  the  original  purpose  of  paragraphing? 

8.  What  principles  must  be  applied  to  secure  good  paragraphing  at 

the  present  time? 

Chapter  XIX 

1.  What  factors  about  a  medium  and  its  readers  should  be  known 

by  the  copywriter  before  constructing  his  advertisement  ? 

2.  What  principle  should  then  be  used  in  constructing  the  copy  for 

publications  of  different  kinds? 

3.  In  what  leading  respects  should  a  newspaper  advertisement  for  a 

nationally   sold   article   differ   from   a  magazine   advertisement 
for  the  same  article? 

4.  What  kind  of  language  can  be  used  in  a  technical  advertisement  ? 


REVIEW  QUESTIONS  363 

5.  What  is  the  most  common  appeal  used  in  trade  paper  advertising? 

6.  What  sort  of  material  is  most  suitable  in  advertisements  in  farm 

publications  ? 

7.  What  considerations  of  style  are  important  in  advertisements  in 

women's  publications? 

Chapter  XX 

1.  What  is  the  proper  relationship  between  display  and  text  in  the 

advertisement  ? 

2.  Under  what  circumstances  is  the  display  more  important  than  the 

text? 

3.  Under  what  circumstances  is  the  display  less  important  than  the 

text? 

4.  What  are  the  five  main  requirements  of  a  good  head-line? 

Chapter  XXI 

1.  What  is  art? 

2.  Why  is  a  beautiful  advertisement  more  effective  than  an  ugly  one? 

3.  What  are  the  five  chief  elements  of  advertising  display  ? 

Chapter  XXII 

1.  What  is  the  first  principle  of  form  in  an  advertisement?     How 

is  it  applied? 

2.  What  is  the  principle  of  consistent  shapes  and  sizes  ? 

3.  What  is  the  Greek  law  of  areas  ? 

4.  What  is  the  optical  center  of  an  advertisement? 

5.  Name  and  define  the  two  kinds  of  appeals  used  in  advertising 

display. 

6.  What  causes  movement  in  an  advertisement?     What  should  be 

the  direction  of  the  movement? 

7.  When  is  movement  to  be  avoided? 

8.  How  can  emphasis  be  secured  by  display? 

Chapter  XXIII 

1.  What  are  the  three  primary  colors?    Explain  in  a  few  words  the 

quality  or  idea  which  each  expresses. 

2.  What  are  the  binary  colors  ?    Explain  in  a  few  words  the  quality 

or  idea  which  each  expresses. 

3.  Define  the  following  terms  with  respect  to  colcr: 

(a)  Tone 

(b)  Neutral 

(c)  Normal  colors 

(d)  Shade 

(e)  Tint 


364  THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

4.  What  are  the  three  qualities  of  every  color  tone? 

5.  Explain  and  illustrate  the  following  terms: 

(a)  Complementary  colors 

(b)  Analogous  harmony 

6.  By  what  two  methods  are  color  harmonies  ordinarily  produced  ? 

7.  What  is  the  "law  of  backgrounds"  ? 

Chapter  XXIV 

1.  What  is  the  first  function  of  illustration? 

2.  What  other  functions  do  illustrations  perform  in  advertising? 

3.  Distinguish  between  naturalistic  and  decorative  illustration  and 

explain  why  the  latter  class  is  increasing  in  use. 

Chapter  XXV 

1.  What  is  ornament? 

2.  Distinguish  between  decoration  and  ornamentation. 

3.  What  are  the  chief  sources  of  ornament? 

4.  What  considerations  govern  the  use  of  historic  or  "period"  orna- 

ment in  advertising? 

5.  What  are  the  chief  functions  of  a  border? 

6.  What  cautions  must  be  observed  in  the  choice  and  use  of  borders  ? 

7.  What  questions   should  be   satisfactorily  answered   before   using 

an    ornamental    initial,    head-piece    or    other   ornament   in    an 
advertisement? 

Chapter  XXVI 

1.  What   ideas   or   feelings   do   straight   horizontal   lines   ordinarily 

-xpress?    Straight  vertical  lines? 

2.  What  ideas  or  feelings  do  curved  lines  express? 

3.  Why  is  the  circular  curve  ordinarily  less  desirable  than  other 

curves  ? 

4.  What  are  the  four  great  "schools"  of  type? 

5.  What   are   the   advantages   of   using   hand-made   type    or   "hand 

lettering"  ? 

6.  What  considerations  govern  the  choice  of  type  for  a  given  adver- 

tisement? 

7.  Why  is  the  frequent  use  of  italics  for  emphasizing  words  in  an 

advertisement  objectionable? 

Chapter  XXVII 

1.  What  are  the  two  main  reasons  for  making  a  layout  of  an  adver- 

tisement ? 

2.  How  is  a  "layout  in  mass"  made? 

3.  How  is  it  used? 


REVIEW  QUESTIONS  365 

4.  How  does  the  working  layout  differ  from  the  layout  in  mass  ? 

5.  What  is  the  point  system  of  measuring  type? 

6.  In  what  size  type  is  the  text  of  this  book  set?     In  what  size  is 

the  index? 

Chapter  XXVIII 

1.  What  are  the  general  requirements  for  success  as  an  advertising 

man? 

2.  What  are  the  chief  duties  of  an  advertising  manager?  What  kinds 

of  ability  must  he  have? 

3.  What  was  the  original  function  of  the  advertising  agent? 

4.  What  kinds  of  service  does  an  advertising  agency  now  give? 

5.  What   is   the   relationship   of   the   publisher   to   the   business   of 

advertising? 

Chapter  XXIX 

1.  Why  is  "free  advertising"  sought  so  generally?     What  are  its 

disadvantages  ? 

2.  What  factors  contribute  to  the  importance  of  the  newspaper  as 

an  advertising  medium  ? 

3.  What  is  a  general  magazine?     For  what  purpose  is  the  general 

magazine  a  more  valuable  advertising  medium  than  the  news- 
paper?   For  what  purpose  is  it  less  valuable? 

4.  What  are  the  distinctive  merits  of  women's  publications  from  an 

advertising  standpoint? 

5.  Distinguish  between  technical  journals  and  trade  journals. 

6.  What  are  the  reasons  for  requesting  an  analysis  of  the  circulation 

of  a  periodical?    What  kinds  of  analyses  are  commonly  needed? 

7.  Why  does  censorship  of  the  advertising  pages  add  to  their  value  ? 

Chapter  XXX 

1.  What  were  the  original  functions  of  signs? 

2.  What  are  the  values  of  outdoor  signs  today? 

3.  What  is  the  usual  function  of  a  painted  bulletin  ? 

4.  By  what  considerations  is  the  value  of  any  particular  bulletin  or 

poster  measured? 

5.  What  advantages  have  posters  as  compared  to  painted  bulletins? 

Chapter  XXXI 

1.  What  is  meant  by  "dealer's  aids"  ? 

2.  What  type  of  "dealer's  aid"  is  considered  of  greatest  importance? 

3.  How  can  the  store-cards  be  made  of  greatest  advertising  value  ? 

4.  What  common  faults -should  be  guarded  against  in  booklets  and 

other  printed  matter  supplied  to  the  dealer? 

5.  What  is  the  great  virtue  of  the  sales-letter  ? 

6.  What  is  the  distinctive  advantage  of  a  house  organ? 


366  THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  ADVERTISING 

Chapter  XXXII 

1.  What  was  the  value  of  making  an  analysis  of  the  competitive 

situation  in  the  field  of  motor  lubricants  ? 

2.  What  methods  were  helpful  in  determining  which  of  a  number 

of  general  magazines  would  be  most  efficient  in  a  campaign  for 
motor  lubricants? 

3.  Why  did  outdoor  advertising  receive  so  large  a  percentage  of  the 

appropriation  in  this  campaign  ? 

Chapter  XXXIII 

1.  How  were  the  talking  points  of  the  advertising  copy  determined? 

2.  How  were  they  used? 

3.  How  was  the  value  of  the  advertising  tested? 

4.  How  was  the  value  measured? 


INDEX 


Abnormal     conditions,     need     for 

study  of,  28,  29 
Advertise,      original     meaning     of 

word,  51 
Advertisement, 

classification  of,  long  circuit 

appeal,  77 

classified,  74 

complete,  72 

publicity,    74 

rationalization  appeal,  79 
use  of,  79,  81 

reflex  appeal,  75 

short  circuit  appeal,  75 
functions  of,   71 
measuring,  pulling  power  of,  107, 

108 

Advertising, 
agent,  295-297 

evolution  of.  295 

functions  of«  295 

requirements  of,  297 

service,  296 

weaknesses,  296 
an   economic   distribution   factor, 

11-12 

as  a  control,  9-10 

as  a  missionary,  10-11 

as  a  direct  selling  force,  13 

beginnings  of,  in  periodical  media, 

300 
campaign, 

purpose  of,  36-41 
campaign,  analysis  of  a  success- 
ful,   IIO-II2 

conclusions   arrived  at,   111-112 

illustrations,  in 

text,  in 

censorship,  309-310 
definition,  difficulty  of,  4 
early  problems  in,  2 


economic  effects  of,  14-17 
economic  use  of,  26-29 

greatest  with  specialized  goods, 

26 

efficiency  of,  5 
free,  value  of.  300 
functions  of,  9 

information  required  before,  18 
limitations  of,  4-5 
manager,  293-295 

analytical  and  executive  ability, 

294-295 
duties,  293 
requirements,  literary,  editorial 

and  artistic,  294 

outdoor  and  other  forms,  311-321 
publications  supported  by,  298 
publisher's  place  in,  297 
Audit   Bureau  of   Circulations, 

299 

space  and  service,  298 
recent  growth  of,  2-4 
relation  to  marketing  cost,  13-14 
value  of,  to  consumer,  16 
value  of,  to  manufacturer,  16 
Agencies,  advertising,  295-297  (See 

also  "Advertising,  agent") 
Analysis    of, 
advertising  campaign,  successful, 

IIO-II2 

circulation,  308-309 

product,  31-33 

Animal  needs,  characteristic,  58 
Appeals, 

long  circuit,  77 

rationalization,  79 
use  of,  79-81 

reflex,  75 

short  circuit,  75 
Aptness  in  hea  I  -lines,  207 
Arrangement  of   advertisement,  88 


367 


368 


INDEX 


Art, 

some  misconceptions  of,  214 
what  it  really  is,  216-217 

Associations, 

establishing,  90-97 

Atmosphere  in  copy,  174 

Attention  and  memory  devices,  82- 
89 

Attractive  packages  as  a  selling  fac- 
tor, 23-25 

Audit  Bureau  of  Circulations,  299 

B 

Backgrounds,  law  of,  251 
Balance  in  type  display,  234-236 

bisymmetric,  234-235 

occult,  235-236 
Beauty  in  art,  217 
Bill-boards   and    street    cars,    copy 

for,  190 

Bill-posters'  association,  317 
Binary  colors,  244 
Bisymmetric  balance,   234-235 
Blank  space  in  advertisements,  272 
Booklets  and  other  printed  matter, 

329 

Borders  in  advertisements,  269 
Brevity  in  head-lines,  206 
Bulletins, 

illuminated,  321 

painted,  315 
Business  men,  copy  for,  192 


Campaign, 
purpose  of,  36-41 
educating,  40 
establishing  reputation,  36 
extending   organization   values, 

•36 

extending  uses,  37 
familiarizing,  40 
gaining  distribution,  38 
identifying  trade-mark,  40 
increasing  consumption,  39 
solidifying  sales,  39 
stimulating,  40 

"Catalogue  copy,"  130 


Censorship, 
lack  of,  in  newspaper  advertising, 

3io 

of  advertising  pages,  309 
Circulation, 

analysis  of,  308 

Civilization  increases  wants,  6l 
Classification  of. 

advertisements,  72-81  (See  also 
"Advertisement,  classification 
of") 

instincts,  63-66 
Classified  advertisement,  74 
Class  publications,  306 
Clearness, 

essential  in  advertising  copy,  121 
Coherence  in  copy,  133-139 
Coined  words,  48 
Color,  242-252 
backgrounds,  law  of,  251 
definition  of  terms,  245 
hue,  246 
intensity,  247 
neutralizing,  245 
shades  and  tints,  245 
value,  247 
harmony,  248 

likeness  and  contrast,  249-250 
source  and  nature,  242 
spectrum  colors,  243 
binary,   244 

cheerfulness  of  yellow,  243 
gloom  of  purple,  244 
light  and  coolness  of  green,  244 
light  and  heat  of  orange,  244 
primary,  243 
restraint  and  coldness  of  blue, 

243 

warmth  of  red.  243 
Commodity, 
analysis  of  the,  31-33 
establishing      connections       with 

needs,  68 

Comparison  of  salesman's  and  ad- 
vertised statements,  7 
Competitive   factors,   estimating,  21 
Competitive  statistics,  336 
Complete  advertisement,  72 
Conciseness,  essential  quality,  124 


xNDEX 


369 


Condensation    of    text,    expansion 

and,  211 
Connections     between     commodity 

and  needs,  68 
Consumer, 
and  dealer, 
study  of,   in   considering   sales 

arguments,  338 
value  of  advertising  to,  16 
factors  governing  advertising  to 

338 

Consumption, 
of  factory  output,  19-20 

figured  in  zones,  21 
statistics  in  actual  practice,  335- 

336 

Contracts  for  advertising,  307 
Control,  advertising  as  a,  9-10 
Copy 

poor,  enhanced  by  white  space,  85 
Copy  as  affected  by  display,  202 
Copy  as  affected  by  medium,  182-201 
for  business  men,   192 
for  farmers,  194 
for  technical  men,  192 
for  trade  papers,  194 
for  women,  196-201 
bargains  and  premiums,  197 
"reason-why"  copy,  197 
general  magazines   and  weeklies, 

183 

miscellaneous  copy  problems,  201 
newspapers  —  department       store 

advertising,  186-189 
bargain  appeal,  189 
news  interest,  186 
newspapers  —  national    advertise- 
ments, 183-186 
newspapers  —  small   retail   stores, 

189 

street  cars  and  bill-boards,  190 
Copy,  human-interest,  153-164 
direct  appeals  to  sense,  155 
dramatic  form,  161 

monologue  and  dialogue,  163 
emotions,  direct  appeals  to,  159 
how  suggestion  works,  154 
paraphrasing,  155 
words  and  acts  of  others,  155 


imitation,  158 

sentiment  and  sentimentality,  164 
story  form,  163 
when  appropriate,  77 
Copy,  nature  and  purpose  of  adver- 
tising,  113-128 

distinction   from  other  forms   of 
composition,   113 

expression  and  impression,  115 
essential  qualities  of,  121-128 

clearness,  121 

conciseness,  124 

correctness,    124 

distinctiveness,   125-128 

economy,  121-125 
relation  to  other  parts  of  adver- 
tising, 113 
style   in,    115 

Copy,  reason-why,  142-152 
choice,  narrowing  the,  142 
deductive  reasoning,  147 
evidence,   144-147 

experience  and  knowledge,  144 

record,  145 

testimony,  145 
inductive  appeal,  150 
point  of  view,   151 
"predicament"  method,  91 
uses  of,  79 

classification,  79 
Copy  service  of  technical  journals, 

194-306 
Copy,  smaller  units  of  advertising, 

165-181 
adaptation  to  reader,  167 

sectional  and  class  differences, 

167 

atmosphere,  174 
coherence  in  the  sentence,  177-178 

balanced  sentence,  178 

co-ordination,  178 

parallel  construction,  177 
emphasis  in  the  sentence,  179-180 

climax,  180 

periodic  sentence,  179 
exactness,  170 

figurative  language,  170 
good  use.  166 
paragraphs,   180-181 


370 


INDEX 


Copy — Continued 

sentence  unity,  176 

sound,  171 

suggestion,  171 

technique  in  advertising,  165 

tone-color,  172-174 
Copy,  structural  principles  of,  129- 
141 
"talking-points,"   132 

coherence,  133-139 
climactic  order,  134 
connectives,  137 
descriptive  order,  134 
narrative  order,  134 

emphasis,  139-141 
proportion,   139 

unity,  129-133  (See  also  "Unity  in 

copy") 

Copy,  writing  the,  and  considering 
returns,  344-358 

consumer,  factors  governing  ad- 
vertising to,  344 

copy  returns,  351 

dealer,   factors  governing  adver- 
tising to,  346 

general  returns,  352 

psychological  investigation,  350 
Correctness,  essential   quality,   124 
Curiosity,  instinct  of,  59 


Determining  what  to  spend,  334-343 
circulation  analysis,  340 
competitive  statistics,  336 
consumer  and  dealer,  338 
dealer's  investigation,  342 
media,    apportionment    among, 

343 

general  policy,  334 
media,  choice  of,  339 
preliminary  investigation,  335 
consumption  statistics,  336 

Direct  appeal, 
to  emotions,  155 
to  senses,  159 

Display, 

copy  as  affected  by,  202 
lines,  tying  up  to  text,  200 
relative   importance   of  text  and, 
203,  204 

Display,  functions  and  elements  of, 

214-224 
definition,  214 

elements  of  advertising,  218 
testing  the,  284,  292 
type,  204 

Distinctiveness,     essential     quality, 
125 

Distribution,  channels  of,  33 
gaining,  38 

Dramatic  form  of  copywriting,  161 


Dealer, 
economic  effect  of  advertising  on, 

IS 
factors  governing  advertising  to, 

346 

house  organ  for,  333 
manufacturer's  aids  to,  325-333 
value  of  advertising  to,  15 
Decoration    contrasted    with    orna- 
ment, 262-265 
Decorative  illustration,  257 
Deductive  reasoning,  147 
Definiteness    of    the   printed    word, 

7-8 

Demonstrations  and  samples,  328 
Department   store   advertising   186- 
180 


Economic, 

distribution  factor,  n 
effects  of  advertising,  13-14 
on  dealer  and  jobber,  15 
use  of  advertising,  26 
greatest  with  specialized  goods, 

26 

Economy, 

essential  quality  of  copy,  121-125 
of  advertising  over  salesmen,  n 
Editorial, 

capacity  of   advertising  manager, 

294 

policy  and  circulation,  309 
Efficiency  of  advertising,  5,  6 
Electric  signs,  324 


INDEX 


371 


Elements  of  advertising  display, 
218  (See  also  "Display,  func- 
tions and  elements  of") 

Emotional  appeals,  followed  by  log- 
ical, 76,  159 

Emotions,  chief  human,  63-66  (Sec 
also  "Instincts  and  emotions") 
direct  appeals  to,  159 
suggestive   list   of   instincts   and, 
.63-66 

Emphasis  in  copy,  139-141 
in  display,  239-241 

Employees,  house  organ  for,  332 

Establishing  associations,  90-97 

Estimating  competitive  factors,  21 

Euphony,  rules  of,  171 

Evidence  in  "reason-why"  copy, 
144-147 

Evolution  of  instincts,  58 

Exactness  in  copy,  170 

Executive  powers  of  advertising 
manager,  295 

Expansion  and  condensation  of 
text,  211 


Factors   on   which  advertising   de- 
pends, 18 
Factory, 

developing  territory,  19 
ideal  trade  conditions  for,  18 
organization  and  output,  18 
production  in  relation  to  compe- 
tition and  consumption,  19 
Farmers, 

copy  for.  194 
Farm  journals,  305 
Feeling-tone, 

law  of,  93-94 
Field  and  functions  of  magazines, 

302 

Foreign    requirements    for    trade- 
marks, 45 

Form,  principles  of,  225-241 
balance,  234-236 

bisymmetric,  234-235 
occult,  235 
emphasis,  239-241 
through  change  in  shape,  240 


through  change  of  type,  239 

through  color  or  tone,  240 

through  contrast,  240 
importance  and  meaning,  225 
movement,  236-239 

defined,  238 

how  obtained,  236 

principle  of.  237 

rhythmic,  238 

structural,  238 
shapes  and  sizes,  consistent,  229 

mechanical  divisions,  avoidance 
of,  233 

proportion,  Greek  law  of,  233 
structural  unity,  consistent,  227 
"Forward  associations,"  92 
Functions  of, 
advertising,  9 
advertising  agent,  295 
display,  214 
illustration,  253,  259 
Fusion,  law  of,  94 


General  magazines,  302 

"Getting  across,"  128 

Good  use  in  writing  copy,  166 

Gothic  type,  276 

Greek  law  of  proportion,  233 

H 

Hand-made  type,  278 
Harmony  in  color.  248 
Head-lines,  205-209 

aptness,  207 

brevity,  206 

interesting  nature,  208 

originality,  207 

specificness,  206 
Head-pieces  as  ornament,  271 
Historic  ornament,  266 
History  of  advertising,  1-2 
History  of  periodical  media,  300 
Horizontal  shapes  in  advertising,  85 
House  organs,  331-333 
Human  instincts,  needs,  and  emo- 
tions,   63-66     (See    also    "In- 
stincts and  emotions") 


372  INDEX 


Human-interest  copy,  153-164 

when  appropriate,  77 
Human  needs, 

of  civilized  men,  6l 

original,  58 

I 

Ideal  trade  conditions  for  factory, 

18 

Illustration,  253-261 
decorative,  257 
functions  of,  253,  259 

congruity  between  text  and,  254 
naturalistic,  definition  of,  255 
place  in  advertising,  253 
relation  to  other  elements,  258 
space  devoted  to,  258 
tying  up  text  with,  210 
Imitation,  158 
Inductive  appeal,  150 
Initials  in  ornamentation,  270 

relation  to  other  type,  271 
Inquiry  copy,  203 
Instincts  and  emotions, 
chief  human,  63-66 

classification  of,  64-66 
curiosity,  59 

relative  strength  of  interests  and, 
66-68 

suggestive  list  of,  64-66 
Interest,  incentives,  86 
relative  strength  of  instincts  and, 

66-68 
Iron   Age,   as    technical   and   trade 

journal,  306 
Italics,  use  and  abuse  of,  278-280 


Jobber, 

dealing  through,  34 

economic    effects    of    advertising 

on,  15 
value  of  advertising  to,  16 


Laboratory  method,  practical  tests, 

106 
Law  of, 

contiguity,  91 


feeling  tone,  93 

fusion,  94 

sequence,  91 
Laying  out  the  advertisement,  282- 

292 
Layout, 

functions  of  the,  282 

in  mass,  283 

working,  285 

Legal      requirements      for      trade- 
marks, 43-44 

Letters,  advertising  media,  330 
Line  meanings,  273 

curved  lines,  274 

straight  lines,  274 

List  of  instincts  and  emotions,  63-66 
Literary  requirements  of  advertis- 
ing manager,  294 
Long  circuit  appeals,  77 

M 

Magazines  and  weeklies,  302 
Magazines,     technical     and     trade 

journals,  305-306 
trade  journals,  305 
women's  publications,  304 
Mail,  direct,  330 
Moil-order, 

advertising,  13 
Making    associations    dynamic,    98- 

105 
Manufacturer's  aids  to  dealers,  325- 

330 
booklets  and  other  printed  matter, 

329 

demonstrations  and  samples,  328 
general  purpose,  325 
store  cards,  326 
window  displays,  325 
Manufacturer,  value  of  advertising 

to,  16 
Market, 

knowledge  of,  32 
Marketing, 
changes  in,  caused  by  advertising, 

3 
in   .relation    to    competition    and 

consumption,    19-22 
packages  as  factor  in,  23-25 


INDEX 


373 


Mass,  layout  in,  283 
Measurement,  type,  287 
Media,  periodical,  300-310 
Media, 

choice  of,  339 
Medium,  copy  as  affected  by,  182- 

201 

Miscellaneous  copy  problems,  201 
Missionary  value  of  advertising,  10- 

II 
Movement,  236-239 

definition,  238 

how  obtained,  236 

principle  of,  237 

rhythmical,  238 

structural,  238 

N 
Nail  advertisements,  pulling  power 

of,  69 
National  advertising  in  newspapers, 

183-186 

Naturalistic  illustration,  255 
Needs, 

characteristic  animal,  58 
chief    human,    65-66,     (See    also 

"Instincts  and  emotions") 
of  civilized  men,  61 
Negative  appeals,  100,  143 
Newspapers, 
advantages     and     disadvantages, 

301-302 

classified  advertisements,  74 
department  store  advertising,  186- 

189 

lack  of  advertising  censorship,  310 
national  advertisements,  183-186 
rates,  lack  of  standardization  in, 

307 

small  retail  stores  advertising,  189 
types  of  readers,  302 

O 

Occult  balance,  235-236 
Old  English  type,  276 
"Optics,  law  of,"  233 
Organization    and    product,    30-41, 

(See  also  "Sales  organization," 

and  "Product") 


Originality  in  head-lines,  207 
Original  meaning  of  word,  "adver- 
tise," 51 

Ornament,  262-272 
borders  as,  269-270 

functions  of,  269 

when  ineffective,  270 
decoration  defined,  262 
head-  and  tail-pieces.  271 
historic,  266-268 

art  period,  266 

Gothic  period.  267 

Greek  period,  268 
initials    and    other    applications, 

270-271 
sources  of,  265-266 

abstract,  266 

conventional,  266 

naturalistic,  265 
Ornamentation,  262 
Outdoor   and   other   forms   of   ad- 
vertising, 311-324 
bill-posters'  association,  317 

legal  regulation  in  Europe,  320 

standardization  of  field,  320 
bulletins, 

illuminated,  321 

painted,  315 
electric  signs,  324 
history  of,  311 
posters,  321 

illuminated,  321 
signs, 

functions  of,  311-312 

influence  of,  312 
values,  314-317 

design,  314 

location,  316 
Output, 

consumption  of  factory,  19 
factory  organization  and,  18 


Package, 

advertising  value  of,  24 

as    factor   in    marketing    factory 
output,  23-25 

size  of,  as  factor  in  sales,  23 
Paragraphs,  180-181 


374 


INDEX 


Periodical  media,  300-310 
censorship  of   advertising  pages, 

309 

circulation,  308,  309 
contracts,  307 
details  of  analysis,  308 
editorial    policy    and    circulation, 

309 

free  advertising  and  its  value,  300 
fundamental  values,  300 
general  division  into  groups,  301- 
307 

class  periodicals,  306 
farm  journals,  305 
general  magazines,  302 
trade    and    technical    journals, 

305-306 
Personal    selling,    relation   of  copy 

to,  116 

Persuasiveness, 
table  of,  67-68 

application  of.  68-70 
Pictures  and  illustrations  in  adver- 
tisement, 87 
Point  of  view  in  reason-why  copy, 

151 

Position  of  advertisement, 
in  the  medium,  83 
on  the  page,  84 
Posters,  321 

Prejudice,   personal   or   traditional, 
overcome  by  rationalization  ap- 
peal, 79-81 
Primary  colors,  243 
Principles   of   form.   225-241,    (See 

also  "Form,  principles  of") 
Printed  matter,  329 
Printed  word, 
definiteness  of,  7 
tendency  to  credit  the,  8 
Product,  31-33 
character  of,  31 
competitive  status  of,  31 
distribution  of,  34 
technicality  of,  32 
usage  of,  32 
Production, 

in    relation    to    competition    and 
consumption,  17-19 


Proportion,  Greek  law  of,  233 
Psychology, 
of  advertising,  50-112 
of  trade-marks  and  trade-names, 

46-49 
Publicity, 

advertisement,  74 
Publisher,  place  of,  in  advertising, 

297 

Pulling    power    of    advertisements, 
107-112 

R 

Rates  in  advertising,  307 

Rationalization  appeals,  79 
use  of,  79-81 

Readers, 
types  of  newspaper,  302 

Reason-why  copy,  142-152 

Reflex  appeals,  75 

Relative  strength  of  instincts  and 
interests,  66-68 

Repetition  in  advertising,  104 

Retailer,    value   of    advertising   to, 
15 

Returns,  writing  the  copy  and  con- 
sidering the,  344-358 

Roman  type,  276 


Sales, 

and  advertising  organization,  30- 
31,  (See  also  "Sales  organiza- 
tion") 

force,  house  organ  for,  332 
methods    and    organization    poli- 
cies, 30 
solidifying,  39 

Samples,  demonstrations  and,  328 
Schools  of  Type,  275 
Script,  276 
Selling     force,     advertising     as     a 

direct,  13 

Senses,  direct  appeal  to,  155 
Sentence  unity,  176 
Sentiment    and    sentimentality,    ap- 
peals to,  164 


INDEX 


375 


Sequence, 

comparison   of   effective  and   in- 
effective, 93 
law  of,  91 
of  ideas,  necessity  of  proper,  91- 

93 

Service  and  functions  of  advertis- 
ing agencies,  295-297 
Shapes  and  sizes  of  advertisements, 
229,  (See  also  "Form,  principles 
of") 

Short  circuit  appeals,  75 
"Short  circuit"  copy,  (See  "Human- 
interest  copy") 
Signs,  advertising  by,  311 
Size  of  advertisement,  82 
Sizes,  type,  288 

Small  retail  store  advertising.  189 
Specificness  in  head-lines,  206 
Spectrum    colors.    243,     (See    also 

"Color") 
Square-mile  basis  of  factory  output 

consumption,  21 
Standard  types,  275 
Store  cards,  326 
Story  form  of  copywriting,  163 
Style, 

in  advertising  copy,  115 
Suggestion,  in  advertising,  98,  154 
borrowed  prestige,   102 
direct,  99 

factor  of  internal  resistance,  98 
in    accord    with    habits    and    in- 
stincts, 99 

indirect,  most  successful,  IOO 
laws  of,  98 
positive,  loo 
prestige, 

of  past  success,  102 
of  patronage,  102 
of  source,  101 
of  space,  101 
unity  in  variety,  105 
Summary  of   functions  of  illustra- 
tion, 259 


Table  of  persuasiveness,  67-68 
application  of,  68-70 


Table  of  type  sizes,  288 

Tact  and   good  taste  in   copywrit- 

.  ing,  156 

Tail-pieces  as  ornament,  271 
Technical   and   trade  journals   and 

magazines,  305-306 
Technical  men,  copy  for,  192 
Technique  in  advertising  copy,  165 
Territorial  analysis,  20 
Text,  relative  importance  of  display 

and,  203.  204 
Tone-color,  172-174 
Trade  and  technical  journals,  305- 

306 

Trade-mark,  42-49 
certificate  countries,  46 
factors  determining  right  to  use 

of  particular  trade-mark,  44 
foreign  requirements,  45 
functions  of,  42-43 
identifying,  43,  47 
individuality  of,  necessity  for,  43 
legal  requirements  of,  43 
meaning  of,  42 
psychology     of,     46,     (See     also 

"Trade-names") 

registering  with  patent  office,  44 
value  of, 

to  business  organization,  43 
to  buyer,  43 
Trade-names, 
attention  and  memory  value  tests, 

47 

good,  qualifications  of,  49 
Trade    papers,     (See    "Trade    and 

technical  journals") 
Type,   (See  also  "Typography") 
display,  204 
emphasis,  278 
four  schools  of,  275 
Gothic,  276 
hand-made,  278 
italics,  386.  387 
line  meanings,  273-275 
measurement,  287 
Old  English,  276 
principles,  273-281 
Roman,  276 
Script,  276 


376 


INDEX 


Type — Continued 

Standard  and  decorative,  275 

Sizes,  288 

Types  of  newspaper  readers,  302 
Typography,      94-97,       (See      also 
"Type") 

legibility  of,  95 

lines  of  uniform  length,  96 

rules  for  in  advertisements,  96 

spacing   of   letters,   words,   lines, 
and  sections,  96 

"word  form,"  96 

U 

Unit, 

basis  of  consumption  of   factory 

output,  19-20 
Unity, 

in  copy,  129-133 
approach  from  one  angle,  132 
concentration     on     one     talking 
point,  132 


consistent  structural,  227 
sentence,  176 
violations  of,  130 
Uses  of  advertising,  4-5,  9-13 

V 

Value  of  advertising  to  manufac- 
turer, jobber,  and  retailer,  16 
Vertical  shapes  in  advertising,  85 

W 
White  space, 

in  advertisement,  85 
Window  displays,  325 
Women, 

as   buyers,    consideration   of   im- 
portance, 304 

copy  that  appeals  to,  106-201 

magazines,  183,  192 
Words,  coined,  48 
Words  of  advertisement,  166-176 
Working  layout,  285 


TU    401 


677585 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


